Village Councils of Nagaland: Customary laws, gender-roles and developmental challenges

Nagaland is a sparsely populated Indian state located in the northeastern region. The village councils are the traditional local government body that administers villages based on Article 371 A of the Indian constitution. The village identity is the central part of Naga identity, and individual identifies themself as part of a village. The researcher stayed in deep rural areas, namely Goching, Hongphoi, Pongkong, and Chi (Chui) Villages of Mon district, Nagaland, from October 2021 to December 2022 and traveled extensively in these villages. This study explores the role of village council in addressing gender roles and developmental challenges.