“Village Consensus Candidate”: A Hybrid Offspring of Indigenous and Constitutional Democracies

Abstract

What happens when liberal democracy, rooted in the ideals of individual liberty, is imposed on a society deeply rooted in in-group loyalty? Geographers have noted that mountains and hills generally result in “minute mountain states” among their inhabitants, often resulting in constant feuds among those groups. Nagaland bears no exception, with hilly terrain being its geographic setting—Independent village republics, with head-hunting among the villages and tribes, characterized pre-colonial (i.e. British colonialism) and pre-Christianity Nagaland. To an ethnic group where the concept of electing their leader was unknown, the election process for the State Legislative Assembly of India was introduced. During which, the boundaries of the village republic are supposed to take a back seat, and individual liberty should take priority since several villages come within one constituency. However, the village boundary refuses to be erased, resulting in an illegal practice popularly known as ‘village consensus candidate’—a candidate from a village for whom the entire village is forced (in some cases voluntarily) to vote. The article explores the historical events and cultural values that shape and influence the election practices of Nagaland and the consequences of such practices on gender representation in the seats of the state’s legislative assembly.