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Front Page >> Features  > Story

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Naga Women’s Intervention
By U A Shimray
"To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awaken. Once she is on the move the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves"

- Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Naga Women’s Union , Manipur (NWUM) recently organized "Decade Anniversary Celebration" at Chandel district. The anniversary theme is "Women and Peace". Such initiation in the juncture of social conflict and ethnic misunderstanding is significantly essential. The discourse would have immense social benefits not only for the Naga community but the larger society in the region.

In today’s new world order, women play crucial role in reconstructing the social system based on human value and participation. The traditional patriarchal social setting dictates women to bend little lower and male to rise their head higher. The concept inevitably constructs the attitude of "weaker section" and "stronger section", "decision-making" men and "obeying" women. Also, abort "unwanted fetus" and rear only the "masculine population". So far, many people fail to understand the passion of women intervention in the society. At the same time, women perspective is often undermined in the claw of patriarchal mind-set. In fact, such intervention needs to translate it into practicality, not just a translating phrase of addressing women as "house-wife" to "Home-maker".

Family and Women: Home is the happiest place on earth. Everlasting phrase always hang "Home Sweet Home" in the door step. Home is also the heart of society. In fact the moral strength of the society is directly determined by the moral strength and religious state of the family. Many social scientists have regarded the family as the cornerstone of society. Indeed, in Naga society, family is not only the socio-cultural and religious unit but also the foundation of Naga value system and social discipline. "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established, through knowledge the grooms are filled with a rare and beautiful treasures" (Proverbs, 12:3).

Indeed, in the family, woman who is also a mother is the main backbone of the whole domestic affairs. I vividly remember my mother putting me in the aluminum tub and bathing me. She cleans my whole tiny naked body from head to toe. She said, "God hates children who are dirty. He loves those who obey their parents". Since my childhood days, I am closer to my mother than my father. I always approach my mother first whenever I need new clothes, new exercise book and pencil even to tie my shoelace or button my shirt. I first inform my mother when I get involved in the fight with my friends before I get good spank from my father. Even for pocket money, I ask my mother which she later relays the message to my father. For problems, I go to mother. She listened. This is one instance in the society of the importance of a mother or women in home making. Nurturing one home is not an easy job but it involves tremendous wisdom, passion and compassion.

Naga society traditionally follows patriarchal system and father is the head of the household. However, mother has no lesser role to play in the family. In fact, the Naga social ethos is always based on community participation irrespective of sexes. The Naga mother occupies an important place in the society. The traditional culture and customs "expect" women should be obedient and humble; also expect to perform the role of wife, mother, child bearer, food producer and household manager. The mother is the first to rise before the crack of dawn and start a day’s work. Mother has the prime responsibility like looking after the children, caring the sick, cooking, store food, feed domestic animals, fetch water, cleaning and washing.

Also, weaving and knitting of Naga traditional clothes are one of the important activities as also to earn income. The young girls usually work collectively as ‘cloth workers’ guild in a particular place. In olden days, Morung (dormitory) is the place where such weaving knowledge and skills were imparted to each and every individual. Such essence of collectiveness helps to develop new designs in the shawls. The beautiful Naga shawl is the sole product of the Naga women’s creativity and wisdom.

Mother’s role and their contributions in the society are always in sustainable form. This is because mother’s association with the social ethos begins in the family. Through her well maintenance of the family, the Naga society is able to sustain its customs and values. Nevertheless, mother of the household is the first who teach their children the social etiquette and moral conduct of the society. As said, mother performs multi-role as wife, mother, child-bearer and household manager giving enormous tasks. Her life is a juggling act as they try to fit in a range of tasks and responsibilities. Sadly and unfortunately, the mothers’ "invincible" works are neither acknowledged nor recognized.

The rigid hierarchical structure as in Hindu society, based on caste is non-existent in Naga society. In spite of its vibrancy, the Hindu caste system has not seeped into the Nagas. The Naga society has a marked sense of "equality" based on community participation irrespective of sex. The Naga society by all considerations is still a traditional society; although the impact of Christianity, education, urbanization have made considerable inroad of changes.

By tradition, Nagas follows patriarchal norm, which, however, not reflects the notion that the "birth of a male child being auspicious, man as the bread earner and protector of the society". Although the concept of male preferences may vary from individual to individual, the fact is that many of the Naga parents prefer their first-born child to be female. For in the Naga family, there is a requirement of the eldest child to play certain role which is vital for the good of the family. The daughter(s) are considered to be more loyal, obedient and helpful to their parents in the discharge of duties. On the other hand, boy(s) is generally preferred as a customs and tradition implies that the lineage of a clan and family is through male. Hence, the traditional patriarchal system’s predominance in the Naga society.

Having said, the Naga society is patriarchal, the father is the head and also only male members of the household can inherit the family ancestral property (read as agricultural land). No female can inherit the family landed property, except in some exceptional cases where landed property is given to the daughter(s) as a marriage gift. However, no ancestral property can be given to the daughter(s). In case if there is no male in the household, the property goes to the nearest among the clan's members. This customary practice is still continuing in the Naga society.

In the bygone days inter-village head hunting was very common in the Naga society. For instance, when men had to wage wars, women take responsibility of giving provision and supplies for the fighting men. For those successful warriors who are able to bring enemy head earned honor and also elevate to high social respect in the village. There is believed that certain women possessed a spirit associated with wealth and richness. During head hunting days, women also played a vital role in saving the lives of their men. Woman was like an "Ambassador" which would volunteer to act as a mediator between the warring villages. These women enjoy full diplomatic immunity. Nobody could lay hands on her. She was called the "peace-maker", the bearer of torch of peace of the Naga inter-village head hunting war. They boldly used to enter the battlefields and intervened in the fighting of the warriors and stopped the fight between the two enemy villages. The women’s role and wise intervention in conflicting issues is very important.

Women’s role and their contribution in the society are always in a sustainable form. And through the well maintenance of the family, the Naga society is able to sustain its customs and values. Keeping the essence of home-making, we see Naga women playing a crucial role in the present social transition. Since the days of ‘head-hunting’ till now, women’s role in the socio-cultural aspects is immense. Indeed, women’s intervention in the socio-cultural sphere is not a new concept in Naga society. Today, we see Naga women doing tremendous work to revitalize the losing customary laws and traditions. Their involvement begins right from their individual capacity as a "lady" of the household. They quietly render great services and fulfilled her duties unostentatiously.

In the midst of rapid changes in Naga social scenario, it is noteworthy to mention that new social elements are creeping into the society. To substantiate, it is worthy mentioning a few: drug peddling, smuggling, corruption, hatred, etc. In fact, in the olden days the prevalence of crimes such as rape, forgery, corruption and others were rare, if not obsolete. But our fast quantum leap of so-called social development has made the Naga people to abandon or lose their certain social values and dignity.

In such a state of confusion, women’s intervention cannot be sidelined. The present Naga women’s organizations not only work hard to revitalize the social values but maximize the imposition of value system in the society. There are many examples where the Naga women organizations took the lead in social movements. Several women organizations have emerged right from the village level to form apex Naga women organization. Today, the apex organizations like Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), Naga Women’s Union , Manipur (NWUM), etc are spearheading the various Naga women associations. The NMA with their theme "Shed No More Blood" have been actively involved in negotiating and mediating for peace and justice for the Nagas. The main objectives are to serve as a channel of communication for Naga women’s mutual interest and welfare; to eradicate social evil and exploitation; to promote active participation in the socio-political life of the Nagas and to maintain peaceful living; to create interest in the traditional socio-political life of the Nagas and to maintain self identity, self reliance and honesty. Also, the Naga women associations have organized rallies and demonstrations for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act, conducted workshops on anti-drug trafficking, etc. Today the NMA, NWUM are actively participating in the on-going cease-fire between the Government of India and the Naga insurgents. As mentioned above, the Naga women’s intervention in the socio-cultural sphere is not a new concept in Naga society. We see Naga women doing tremendous work to revitalize the losing traditions.

As a concluding remark, it shall not be out of place to mention that the Naga women’s role in the Naga society has strong historical, social and political implications. At the same time, women’s intervention is always looked at in a positive aspect. Women have more affinity to the socio-cultural and economic activities. Because of such close interaction with social ethos it enables them to develop better essence of cultural consciousness. This unrewarded tradition of Naga women, if encouraged may help to build a better Naga society. Also, a sense of self-pride and self-dependence even when the Nagas have become thoroughly modernized.

(The writer is a research student of CSRD, JNU, New Delhi )

 

  

 

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