AIZAWL, April 9 – Though there is no woman among the four candidates contesting the Lok Sabha election to the lone Mizoram seat, women’s issues have come to the fore probably because women outnumbered men in the State’s voters lists. The opposition Mizo National Front-Mizoram Peoples Conference combine is using women’s issues against the Congress, saying that the present government refused to formalise the Mizoram Divorce Ordinance, 2008 promulgated by the State Governor during the MNF rule.
The MNF allege that the Ordinance lapsed after the Congress Government led by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla refused to regularise it during the Budget session of the Assembly held during March last.
“All the women groups, including the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or Mizo Women’s Federation, hailed the promulgation of the ordinance to improve the lot of the weaker sex in the strict patriarchal society in regards to separation and divorce, but the Congress stiffled the law,” a woman leader of the MNF said.
A judicial magistrate, who did not want to be named, told PTI that the Mizoram Divorce Ordinance was now null and void as the Ordinance was not legislated by the Legislature as per the provisions of the Article 213 of the Constitution.
According to the Mizo Customary Law, a divorced woman does not have any claim over the family properties even if it is community properties, earned by the wife. The new Divorce Ordinance sought to change all that.
B Sangkhumi, former president of the MHIP, one of the biggest NGOs in Mizoram, and chairperson of the State Public Service Commission, said that women’s organisations have submitted memoranda to the government to formalise the Ordinance in the Assembly.
She said, “The State Law Minister Lalsawta has promised that a new Bill, better and more effective than the Ordinance, will be drafted for legislation.”
Women voters outnumbered their male counterparts by more than 9,000 votes in the 6,29,155-strong electorate in Mizoram, but not a single woman candidate, including those fielded by major political parties, were elected in the last State Assembly polls held on December 2 last.
Altogether, three women have been elected to the Mizoram Assembly and only one woman Lalhlimpuii was inducted in the Council of Ministers so far, while Thanmawii was the only woman to be elected for two times – in 1987 and 1989. – PTI
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The MNF allege that the Ordinance lapsed after the Congress Government led by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla refused to regularise it during the Budget session of the Assembly held during March last.
“All the women groups, including the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or Mizo Women’s Federation, hailed the promulgation of the ordinance to improve the lot of the weaker sex in the strict patriarchal society in regards to separation and divorce, but the Congress stiffled the law,” a woman leader of the MNF said.
A judicial magistrate, who did not want to be named, told PTI that the Mizoram Divorce Ordinance was now null and void as the Ordinance was not legislated by the Legislature as per the provisions of the Article 213 of the Constitution.
According to the Mizo Customary Law, a divorced woman does not have any claim over the family properties even if it is community properties, earned by the wife. The new Divorce Ordinance sought to change all that.
B Sangkhumi, former president of the MHIP, one of the biggest NGOs in Mizoram, and chairperson of the State Public Service Commission, said that women’s organisations have submitted memoranda to the government to formalise the Ordinance in the Assembly.
She said, “The State Law Minister Lalsawta has promised that a new Bill, better and more effective than the Ordinance, will be drafted for legislation.”
Women voters outnumbered their male counterparts by more than 9,000 votes in the 6,29,155-strong electorate in Mizoram, but not a single woman candidate, including those fielded by major political parties, were elected in the last State Assembly polls held on December 2 last.
Altogether, three women have been elected to the Mizoram Assembly and only one woman Lalhlimpuii was inducted in the Council of Ministers so far, while Thanmawii was the only woman to be elected for two times – in 1987 and 1989. – PTI
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