She is fighting against twin odds — a formidable opponent in Brig. T. Sailo, a former chief minister and a Mizo prejudice against women in politics. But she is confident of vanquishing both. Zothankimi, 47, is the lone woman Congress candidate from Aizawl II Assembly constituency.
She plunged into politics just after matriculation in 1978, lured by the Congress’s promise of ushering peace into the insurgency-ravaged state.
Incidentally, her current opponent, Brig. Sailo, was then the chief minister.
“The state was yearning for peace and as a youngster, the Congress’s promise for peace caught my imagination as I realised that only permanent peace could ensure a bright future of the state. Brig. Sailo’s government had completely failed in arresting violence. I then decided to join the Congress,” she said.
She worked as a Youth Congress joint secretary in a local party unit for a short stint before resuming her studies.
She went to Calcutta and completed her graduation there.
After returning home, Zothankimi got married, mothered two children and devoted herself to household chores.
But politics always remained at the back of her mind, prompting her to rejoin the Congress in 1990.
She is now one of the general secretaries of the PCC and also a member of the party’s political affairs committee, the highest policy-making body.
Having tasted electoral defeat in the Assembly elections in 2003, Zothankimi is aware of her drawbacks.
“It is unfortunate but I have to say that there is a tribal male chauvinism in the state which is preventing women from doing well in electoral politics,” she said.
It is because of this mindset, that she opted for an urban constituency this time in place of Serlui in Kolasib district, from where she had lost to Assembly Speaker Lalchiamliana by a narrow margin of 500 votes.
“Even my party leader, Lalthanhawla, feels that a woman has a better chance to win from an urban constituency,” she said.
This time, she is confident of doing well and she has a reason.
The women’s organisations, including the state’s second largest social organisation, Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawn Pawl, have been actively campaigning for women candidates.
Since 1972, the year Mizoram became a Union Territory, only three women — Thanmawii (1978), K. Thansiami (1979) and Lalhlimpui (1987) — could make to the Assembly.
Of them, only Lalhlimpui became a minister.
“I am sure the trend against women is going to change this time,” the Congress candidate said.
As in most of the constituencies in the state, in Aizawl West-II, too, the women voters outnumber their male counterparts.
Zothankimi hopes that the campaign by women’s organisations this time will ensure at least 8,229 votes from her constituency.
She is promising a separate department for women and child development if the Congress is voted to power.
Zothankimi feels since both of her main opponents — Sailo of the United Democratic Alliance and Laruatkima of the Mizo National Front — are from the same locality of Kanan, it will give her an edge.
“Kanan has around 2,000 voters and it will be divided this time between the two contestants. The votes of my Vaivakawn locality will root for me,” she said.
Having said that, she admits that Brig. Sailo is a big name in state politics and he has a loyal vote bank.
When Mizoram goes to the polls on December 2, Zothankimi will have to dent this traditional vote bank and defeat the prejudice against women candidates. It is a tough challenge indeed.
SAMIR K. PURKAYASTHA
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081128/jsp/northeast/story_10164779.jsp
She plunged into politics just after matriculation in 1978, lured by the Congress’s promise of ushering peace into the insurgency-ravaged state.
Incidentally, her current opponent, Brig. Sailo, was then the chief minister.
“The state was yearning for peace and as a youngster, the Congress’s promise for peace caught my imagination as I realised that only permanent peace could ensure a bright future of the state. Brig. Sailo’s government had completely failed in arresting violence. I then decided to join the Congress,” she said.
She worked as a Youth Congress joint secretary in a local party unit for a short stint before resuming her studies.
She went to Calcutta and completed her graduation there.
After returning home, Zothankimi got married, mothered two children and devoted herself to household chores.
But politics always remained at the back of her mind, prompting her to rejoin the Congress in 1990.
She is now one of the general secretaries of the PCC and also a member of the party’s political affairs committee, the highest policy-making body.
Having tasted electoral defeat in the Assembly elections in 2003, Zothankimi is aware of her drawbacks.
“It is unfortunate but I have to say that there is a tribal male chauvinism in the state which is preventing women from doing well in electoral politics,” she said.
It is because of this mindset, that she opted for an urban constituency this time in place of Serlui in Kolasib district, from where she had lost to Assembly Speaker Lalchiamliana by a narrow margin of 500 votes.
“Even my party leader, Lalthanhawla, feels that a woman has a better chance to win from an urban constituency,” she said.
This time, she is confident of doing well and she has a reason.
The women’s organisations, including the state’s second largest social organisation, Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawn Pawl, have been actively campaigning for women candidates.
Since 1972, the year Mizoram became a Union Territory, only three women — Thanmawii (1978), K. Thansiami (1979) and Lalhlimpui (1987) — could make to the Assembly.
Of them, only Lalhlimpui became a minister.
“I am sure the trend against women is going to change this time,” the Congress candidate said.
As in most of the constituencies in the state, in Aizawl West-II, too, the women voters outnumber their male counterparts.
Zothankimi hopes that the campaign by women’s organisations this time will ensure at least 8,229 votes from her constituency.
She is promising a separate department for women and child development if the Congress is voted to power.
Zothankimi feels since both of her main opponents — Sailo of the United Democratic Alliance and Laruatkima of the Mizo National Front — are from the same locality of Kanan, it will give her an edge.
“Kanan has around 2,000 voters and it will be divided this time between the two contestants. The votes of my Vaivakawn locality will root for me,” she said.
Having said that, she admits that Brig. Sailo is a big name in state politics and he has a loyal vote bank.
When Mizoram goes to the polls on December 2, Zothankimi will have to dent this traditional vote bank and defeat the prejudice against women candidates. It is a tough challenge indeed.
SAMIR K. PURKAYASTHA
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081128/jsp/northeast/story_10164779.jsp
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