It took the intervention of church elders to prevent a head-on confrontation between the Nagaland government and tribal bodies in the state over holding the urban local body (ULB) elections with 33% seats reserved for women. The Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (NBCC) mediated Monday’s agreement between the Nagaland government and the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), a group of tribal organisations spearheading the agitation opposed to reservation for women. Following hectic discussions, the state government agreed “in principle” to postpone the ULB elections – scheduled for February 1 – by two months. “At the consummation of the two-month public process, the JCC will ensure the people’s participation in the conduct of a peaceful ULB elections… with 33% reservation for women,” the statement read. Nagaland has never elected a women legislator to the assembly since it gained statehood in 1963.

Source: Hindustan Times January 31, 2017 08:29 UTC