Field Diary:

For the purpose of my research work, a rural area was to be selected for gathering the first hand
information concerning women, their process of interaction and its outcome which were shaped
and influenced by the social organization.

A description of the Village:

Molungkimong is the name of the village selected for my fieldwork. A native village of mine, i
purposively selected this village as i was well acquainted with the area and the villagers.
Furthermore, language was not a barrier and i would find no difficulty interacting with the
village folks and gathering necessary information. This village is significantly important to the
Nagas and the Christian community as the first church was established by the American Baptist
missionary Rev. E.W. Clark in 1872.

This village has a population of 2814 according to the 2011 census and is located in Alongkima
circle of Mokokchung district. The nearest town is Tuli, which is located about 15Km from the
village and 83km away from Mokokchung town. There are about 534 household in the village.
Houses are mostly made of wood and only a few houses are concrete in nature. This village has
three schools which impart education up to 10 standards, though the enrollment of children in the
school is quite low. Although there are road networks to the village, however the roads are
kaccha making it difficult for transportation especially during the rainy season. Although it is
only 15 Km away from the nearest town Tuli, yet it takes more than two hours journey by
vehicle to reach the destination owing to the deplorable road condition.

An account in the field:

I have been to this village several times; the last time which I visited was in the year 2009 and I
was visiting after a gap of 10 years. Many new changes and developments have been made. The
roads within the village area were better, and most of the household own modern equipments
such as mobile, refrigerator, apart from owning a television and radio.
The population in the village has been declined owing to migration to the nearby town of Tuli
and Dimapur in search of jobs and education for the children. The families of the staff working
in the village school have migrated, leaving the earning member in the village, as the quality of
education for children were better in the towns. For those who cannot afford to go to the nearby
towns, attend the village school. A changed which was observed is that, only few household
own paddy field and many has shifted from jhum cultivation to plantation agriculture. Upon
enquiring, I was told that, there was easy availability of rice at cheap prices provided by the
government through the public distribution system. Coal mining activities were undertaken,
which started around 2011, and the economy of the villagers flourished especially those clans in
whose land coals were discovered. With this development, the villagers started constructing
concrete houses. Along with this development, few feud occurred in the village among the
families and clans especially concerning land where coal deposit occurred.

On reaching the village, I was hosted by an aunt known to me. I was told that, an old woman
passed away and her funeral rites were completed. While I was at aunt house, a woman around
the age of 70 came to the house where I was staying. She discussed with my aunt about the
funeral ceremony and was grumbling of the insignificant status of women. She narrated of how
in that funeral ceremony, the genealogical lines of that deceased person was not stated clearly by
her relatives and closed kin. Whereas, on the other hand, proper record of the genealogical lines
are traced and are recorded more significantly as compared to women. She also lamented how a
women’s life from her birth till death had to serve the males as helpers without considering as
equal to man.

In a brief discussion with her, she was excited on knowing that my research was on women
issue, I was told that, in the funeral ceremony held that day, she discussed that women should be
given importance as equal to man. While a few visitors came over to the house I was hosted, they
were curious on the purpose of my visit. When I told them the purpose of my research and that, I
was to interview only the women folks, they suggested me to interview only the male folks as
they have more knowledge and women might not have a large idea. Some even suggested me to
the extent of interviewing men and incorporating as women in the questionnaire to be filled in.
Some visitors from the church came to the house I was hosted and I couldn’t attend them of
waking up late. I was told by my aunt that they were very supportive of the research being based
on women of the fact that equal status are not accorded to women.

While walking around the village, at a particular site, there used to be a village jail, known as
‘shi ki’ was nowhere to be found. Upon enquiring, I was told that, it has been dismantled. During
my last visit in 2009 and before that, this “shi ki” was functional. It was a small house of less
than 5 feet in height, made of wood, whereby, those who disobeys the village laws were kept.

During my stay in the village, a village feud was to be settled related with monetary issue
between two parties. The villages political organization comprises of a body of village council,
through them, the feuds are settled. A member of the council, around 10 pm at night, walked
through the streets and proclaim that, the ongoing feud was to be settled the next day and inviting
all the male folks to attend in the customary court. The next morning, when I told my aunt and
few of my relative that I wanted to go to the hearing, my aunt was astonished and shocked of
how I could utter such and explained to me that it was only for the male folks who could attend
and women could not go to the hearing.

On that day of hearing, while the women folks stayed at home, and fulfilling their household
duties, the village council members put on the traditional waist coat, and all the male folks went
to the court. While, the women folks were at home eagerly waiting to hear the decision
undertaken to settle the dispute. It was learnt that the dispute could not be settled and was further
extended as one of the parties were not accepting the judgment as decided in the customary
court.

There were Saturday markets whereby, the businessman from Assam comes to the village with
daily needs such as groceries and vegetables to be sold to the villagers. During the previous
years, when I visited, there were no markets and only a few shops. The villagers had to go to the
nearest town to Tuli under mokokchung district, Haulating and Amguri in Assam to buy their
basic necessities.

When I visited in 2009, there were only a few vehicles in the village. Though the count of
vehicle is not many as compared to towns at present, yet, it has increased. Many thing which
were in use in the previous years were not in use, such as “tsu shi” it was a bamboo of about 5
feet, which as used by the villagers to fetch water from the pond. It was replaced by other vessels
and containers, and there were water carriers and tankers, who sell water to the villagers. The
villagers get to bed early and almost all the household owned a radio. The villagers had no access
to daily newspapers, radio serve the means of spreading news among the villagers. The radio
transmitter from mokokchung highlights the news in Ao dialect followed by different
programmes such as talk shows educating people on manners, culture. In one of the discussion
on cooking, it was discussed by the women folks and no males were present. Many of the
villagers eagerly wait for the clock to strike 5:30 pm to listen to the news.

The electricity were irregular and in each home that I interviewed, there was a price list of the
various groceries to be paid to the shopkeepers which were issued by the village council. The
wages for both men and women were being enlisted whereby the male wage was Rs 500 and for
women, it was Rs 350 for the equal work being carried out. Upon asking a few of the women of
the difference in wages, they were rather supportive of the fact of man getting more wage than
the women. Their view was that, men even though he is differently able, he has a higher position
comparing to men and a women cannot be compared to men. Further, man posses more strength
than a female. I was told that, in many of field work, women perform better comparing to men
however, woman are paid less yet, they accept without questioning.

After meeting the village council chairman, and taking prior permission from him, in many of
the interview which as conducted, the women folks hardly lament of the duties towards family
and maintaining their household activities. Their daily life’s revolves around the household
activities and has accepted their position without expectation from male members. Among the 30
women that I interviewed, most of the women hardly voice out concerns regarding the low status
accorded by their society. Only two among the rest stands firmly on women’s right and issues.
Many of the women associate their identity with household activities and taking care of families,
while, male earn for the family.

An account of women in olden days:

In the olden days, women played an important role in restoring peace in the village during the
head hunting practices. In one of the wars with a neighboring village, the village of Chungtia and
Molungkimong sided together and went to war. However, there arise a feud among this village
and chungtia due to misinterpretation. Both of the warriors came to the village to eat food, when
the women folks offered to the chungtia warriors , they refused. In Ao tradition, non acceptance
and refusal is taken as a sign of enemy and a warning that they will attacked the village. Thus,
the village of chungtia was to attacked the village of Molungkimong, however, the women folk
of Molungkimong composed songs for the chungtia warriors. Thus the warriors of chungtia
decided that they will take the song which will last forever and this is how the village was saved
from being attacked by chungtia. The village of Molungkimong regards chungtia as their father
and good relations are maintain even to this day. On special occasion the villagers of
Molungkimong visit their father village and sang the songs composed for them.Women also
composed songs of victory for man who show courage in war and take heads of enemies.

During the head hunting days, women do not go to the field alone. The man with spears and
dao’s accompany women, whereby, women work in the field and man guard them from being
attacked by enemies. Man as regarded as the protector and played an important role in proving
defense of the village, while women duties were towards families and work in the field.

An account of experiences of women:

In one of the interview, I meet a woman in her 80 years of age. She is unmarried and is living
with her brother. In her narration, she stated that, during her teenage days, she went to shillong to
pursue her studies; however she had to return back to the village without continuing her
education as strict laws were made by the village council that everyone should return to the
village to restrict the intermarriage with others except with their own native villagers. In this
way, she returned to the village leaving her studies. She stated that, her position would have been
enhanced had the village authorities not made any strict laws.

So far that I have interviewed, the awareness and rights known were only among those who has
received schooling and exposed to education, though there were also women folks who has
received education, yet accepted their position accorded by tradition through the process of
socialization. Among the women in the village, few were graduates and those who attained
higher education and acquired jobs were working in the nearby towns.

I was told that, during the olden days, when schools were newly opened after statehood, the
children had to go to the nearest town and head quarter for schooling, whereby, they had to walk
on foot carrying basic necessities such as rice. Women were not encouraged much for schooling
and were made to help in the kitchen and field, while her brothers go to the nearby village where
schools were reopened. In cases of marriage, women have a wider say in selection of mates and
forced marriage are unknown.

In one of the case of division of property, a land belonging to the clan was sold to the
contractors’ of coal miners and the amount of money got in return was to be divided among the
members of the clan. The discussion of dividing the money was held in the oldest member of the
clan and only the male members were allowed to attend the discussion. It was decided that , all
the male members including the newly born male were divided equally , whereby all the male
members got a share of Rs 50,000 and the women of the clan were given a sum of 2000 each as a
sign of affection. In the customary tradition of the Ao Nagas, women do not owe right in
property. Also, the repayments of dept incurred by deceased are paid only by the male members
of the clan.

A woman name Martha (name changed) that I interviewed, she is married and have three
daughters. She was the only daughter in the family and do not have any other siblings. To attain
education was encouraged by her father but her mother did not encourage her as she wanted her
daughter to stay nearby them. Their family was economically well off and her father owned big
acres of land and forest. She stated that, she could not claim her father’s property of the fact of
being a female. During her marriage, her father gave her two fields and a forest where she could
economically sustain herself. Her father built her a house for her to live with her husband;
however, her father’s brother claimed that his son will live in the newly constructed house. After
her father’s death, the property was divided among the male clan members.

She stated that, she cannot give her landed property to her daughter as her eldest daughter is
married to a man from other village and there is a strict rule in the village that, landed property
cannot be inherited by person who belong to other village. In order to protect her land being
taken away by her clan members, she along with her husband has started plantation agriculture of
economic value, whereby, her daughters would get benefit from it. In this way, land will be
owned by her. In her opinion, she told that she would not have lament had her father did not give
any share of property following the cultural patterns.
In many of the narratives, women consider themselves as a companion of man and they traced
this to the teachings in the Bible. Also, in many of the discussion in the family, it was learn that,
the male members despised the opinions of female and termed woman as “ tetsur tanur” which
implies that, women folks are considered as children.