Is Naga Society Egalitarian and Democratic? The Gender Questions on Customary Law and Its Practices in Nagaland

Abstract

Customary law and its practices in tribal culture usually reproduce gender bias on almost all fronts. Focusing on Khiamniungan, one of the Naga tribes, this article tries to illustrate the patriarchal aspect of social reality as it is manifested through customary practices, folklore, local sayings and local proverbs. Based on ethnographic research, the study argues that the institution of Morung is the epitome of customary practices and justifies patriarchy, especially in the political sphere. Also, Naga women have to bargain and negotiate on all fronts: property rights, decisions in marriage and divorce, public participation and so on. As a result, such dominance silences the Naga women’s experiential history. The attempt is to critically reflect on the colonial narrative of Nagas as an egalitarian and democratic society and further highlight that the colonial paradigm continues to be reproduced in postcolonial times without an empirical and critical reflection.