Silchar, Nov. 12: Electoral numbers in Mizoram have thrown up a social puzzle which anthropologists would love to chew on. Sample this: Women voters in Mizoram outnumber men by over 6,000 this year and yet their participation in the poll battle is alarmingly minuscule. There are only seven women candidates for the December 2 elections to the 40-member Assembly though the electoral list pegs the number of women voters at 308,884.The number of male voters is 302,240 — reason enough for the numerically stronger gender to sail towards a women’s raj.
But far from dominating the political scene, women are conspicuous by their absence.
During the last Assembly elections, too, women voters outnumbered men by over 3,000.
But there were only two women in the fray and both of them lost.
Social scientists fail to explain this disinterest in politics, since women are more visible than men in most public spheres.
There are around 47,000 women in government offices, comprising 35-40 per cent of the total workforce.
There are also a large number of women sports personalities and bureaucrats.
Even during elections, women are seen everywhere — actively canvassing and managing tea stalls put up by contesting parties at polling booths.
Though there are no clear-cut answers for Mizo women’s “distaste” for politics, a church leader tried to come up with one.
“It is not a matrilineal society but their role cannot be discounted. They are content playing kingmakers. There are no easy answers but it appears that they are more comfortable working in groups rather than independently and do not have the tradition of taking on the menfolk either at home or outside. This time, the number (of women contesting the polls) has gone up to seven. Things can only improve from here,” he said.
The three mainstream political fronts — the Congress, the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) comprising the Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) — are fielding one woman each.
The BJP has put up two women, while the Lok Janashakti Party is fielding one.
While the Congress has put up Zothankimi, a former Youth Congress leader, as its candidate in Aizawl West 11 constituency, the UDA nominated Lalhmingthangi, a 32-year-old theologian and former secretary of the Presbyterian Women’s Fellowship, for Champhai constituency.
The MNF candidate is former minister Lalhimpuii, who will try her luck not from her old seat at Aizawl North, but from Hrangturzo constituency. There is also an Independent woman candidate in the fray. She is the well-known gospel singer, Laldinkimi, who will contest from East Tuipui constituency.
Mizoram got its first woman MLA in 1979, when Thanmawii won the Aizawl East seat on an MPC ticket in a close contest.
The second one was K. Thansiami, who romped home from the Aizawl West constituency in 1984.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081113/jsp/northeast/story_10104058.jsp
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