Men See Northeastern Girls As Easy Women: Ngurang Reena, #Bold

“To formulate policies that are woman-friendly, a woman has to be there. Putting up issues and sitting at the table, saying this is what we need and this is what we assert,” says Ngurang Reena. In another exciting episode of #BOLD, Ngurang Reena (26) talks about her political dreams, in conversation with SheThePeople.TV's Poorvi Gupta, Ngurang takes us through her journey.

On her love for Political Science

Ngurang said her passion for politics was further reinforced during her college years. Being an active member in students politics, Ngurang also became the President of Political Science department at her college. “When you are in a place like Delhi and you have to always adjust to something new, as a woman, as a person from the marginalised section, so every space you go into makes you sort of political.”

Ngurang developed a profound interest in International Relations and made it the subject of her masters. “It was so beautiful, I had never experienced something like this. The idea of debate, culture and dissent. To be able to tell a person that you are wrong and I might have a different opinion. And that opinion was respected,” she said.

Standing for JNUSU elections

Reena's father who was a former MLA of Arunachal Pradesh was murdered in 2017. Reena has fought very hard to find justice for her father. She says, “When you have done all of this individually, you think, what can you do more? That's when I decided that I should stand for JNUSU elections.”

On being a North Eastern Woman

She said her struggle like every other woman has been to fight against the established notion of women being inferior to men.

“As a woman from Northeast, in my entire 10-12 years in Delhi, every day has been a battle for me to find my space.” Reena further states how people look at her through a judgmental lens. She says, “As a woman from the Northeast there is a double profiling that you have to witness.”

On her battle to seek justice for her father

Ngurang Reena describes how as a daughter, this fight for justice has been so difficult for her, personally. But her fight is also a fight with corruption, lawlessness, inefficiency of the state police. She says, “Having been educated in Delhi, and in a place like JNU, I have had the courage and the privilege to even come this far.”

Ngurang Reena seeks an answer from the government. “Why is difficult for us to even ask for something that is very natural to us. Like the fundamental rights or the constitutional rights?” She also asks, “Why is it so easy for the powerful and extremely difficult for the powerless?”

On her political dreams

Ngurang Reena aspires to lead her state. For her, sitting on one side and pointing fingers and blaming those in power is not an option. “If I, as a privileged person who’s getting the best education and an exposure in the world, not doing something, not giving back, then who else will do it?” She further says, “We should all take responsibility for what is happening and then get into the system to correct the system.”

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Rachna Chandira is an intern with SheThePeople.TV