Itanagar, Mar 13: The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) and Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) have strongly condemned the remarks made by Kamle zilla parishad chairperson (ZPC) Biri Shanti Nido during an International Women’s Day event, wherein she allegedly blamed the first wife for polygamy.
In a statement, APWWS said such comments from a woman leader, especially at a forum meant to promote women’s empowerment, send a wrong message to the younger generation. The organization asserted that the statement had hurt the sentiments of women across the state, many of whom continue to fight against the practice of polygamy.
APWWS urged the news channel concerned to immediately remove the video containing Nido’s remarks, calling it a “regressive narrative” that undermines the struggle for women’s rights. It also appealed to the public and media houses not to circulate such videos.
Echoing similar concerns, the APSCW also denounced Nido’s statement, terming it “disappointing and controversial.” The commission said her assertion—that a husband seeks another wife due to faults of the first wife—was not only regressive but also misleading, particularly in the present era of women’s empowerment.
“As a responsible leader, she must understand that her words can have serious consequences in society. Such statements on a public platform take the concept of women’s empowerment in the wrong direction,” the APSCW said.
Both APWWS and APSCW reiterated that women in Arunachal Pradesh have long struggled against polygamy, a practice that has historically been used to assert male dominance. They maintained that such comments from a woman in a position of authority were unacceptable and deserved strong condemnation.
