A Naga woman with her child

Dimapur, March 17: A group of prominent Naga women rights activists today criticised the state legislators for not giving nomination to a woman candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The women rights’ group said they had not failed to nominate their candidate to Rajya Sabha as reported in the media, but put the blame on “unprecedented development at the eleventh hour among the legislators”.

The group, however, promised to put up a woman candidate for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. Nagaland has one Lok Sabha seat.

The women lashed out at the legislators for not giving nomination to Dr Akali, whose name the group had proposed for the Rajya Sabha seat.

The women’s group also dismissed rumours regarding nomination of Akali for the Lok Sabha elections.

The group said any such rumours would bring discredit to her name.

The group, which had addressed a press conference at Kohima on Monday, said the meet was called to explain the steps they intended to take for women empowerment.

“We feel that it is an opportune time to include women in the decision-making process. We, however, do not claim to be leaders, but facilitators and initiators to lay the groundwork so that women are made a part in the larger decision-making process,” one of the activists said.

The activists also promised to call on the chief minister and chief secretary shortly to apprise them of the women rights movement in the state.

They expressed discontentment over the delay in the formulation of a state policy for women, which is mandatory for each state according to a directive from the Union government.

The National Policy for Women was formulated in 2000 and made mandatory for each state to have its own state policy for women, aimed to safeguard them against injustice and other crimes.

Even after four years since the directive was issued, Nagaland has not formulated the state policy for women, one of them said.

The activists will also apprise the chief minister and the chief secretary of the urgent need to set up a state commission for women.

The women’s group demanded delivery of justice to rape victims within a stipulated time of three months. They also demanded the right to sue any lawyer who seeks bail for a rapist.

The women’s group will also press for 50 per cent reservation for women in all municipal and town committees.

The activists also appealed to the people of the state to extend a helping hand in their fight for women’s rights.