ITANAGAR, 13 Mar: The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) has strongly condemned the recent statement made by Kamle Zilla Parishad Chairperson (ZPC) Biri Shanti Nido blaming the first wife for polygamy during an event celebrating the International Women’s Day.
In a release on Thursday, the Society, while expressing its disagreement with the ZPC’s statements said, “We do not expect such statements from a woman leader, especially when she was invited to speak on women’s empowerment. Her remarks send a wrong message to the younger generation. Her statement has hurt the sentiments of women across the state, where many are constantly struggling and fighting against the practice of polygamy.”
The APWWS appealed to the news channel concerned to immediately remove the video featuring the said remarks, saying that “it promotes a regressive narrative that undermines the fight for women’s rights.”
The Society also appealed to the public and media houses not to share similar videos containing hurtful and condemnable statements.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) has also vehemently condemned the Kamle ZPC’s statement, terming it “uneducated and illogical.”
The APSCW, through its social media platform stated: “This is very disappointing to witness such type of controversial speech made by Biri Shanti Nido, that also on the auspicious occasion of International Women’s Day. Shanti should remember that she is a responsible woman in various platforms and every statement that she makes can have a very harsh effect on society. It is a fact since time immemorial that women in Arunachal Pradesh are facing this harsh and ill-practice of polygamy, through which menfolk have always shown their dominance towards womenfolk. In this ‘era’ of women empowerment, saying that the male chooses another woman just because his first wife doesn’t cook for him is taking the idea of ‘women empowerment’ in a very wrong direction. The society, as well as the women population, does not expect such an opinion from a responsible woman of her position.”
