Kingaule Newme

In the tribal society, customary laws and practices have acted as the biggest stumbling block for empowering women. Zeme Naga women in Assam do not enjoy equal political and social status with men. Women perform diverse roles in the society. Traditionally, women had four fold role to play such as a daughter, wife, housewife and a mother. From the childhood women are taught to believe that they are inferior to men in every sphere of life. Traditions and religion have a strong influence on women in guiding their lives from birth to death. The Zeme follow the Patriarchal system of family, who holds the absolute power as well the full responsibilities for protection and looking after the welfare of all dependents and the maintenance of his family. The descendant is always traced down from the male members only and the supremacy of male had been the unquestioned norm of social governance since the ancient times. After the death of the father, the head of the family is taken over by the eldest son of the family. Therefore after the first child, the birth of a son is preferred and the family with more sons are respected by the people whereas the family with many daughters are regarded to be the end of the generation of that family. This paper tries brings out the different position of a women in the Zeme Naga society.

The importance of traditional folk media cannot be overlooked in this era. It can contribute to social change, societal reconciliation and reduce conflict. The oral tradition is kept alive through folk tales and folk songs which can help build peace efforts through its thought provoking tales and songs that help in maintaining peace within the community and with the neighbours. In India, traditional folk media is recognized as a potential alternative media to connect with the rural masses and to convey messages at the grassroot level. Despite rapid technological advancement, traditional folk media has not lost its stand till today. It represents the traditional way of life of a community based on customs, beliefs and arts that make up a distinctive culture allowing the whole community to be a part of it, irrespective of caste or creed which builds peace and harmony in the society. Since time immemorial, different cultures have used folk songs as an important means of communication. Among the Zeme Naga community, folk songs have been playing a crucial role in social communication. It is considered to be the most important means of communication which helps in bringing change in an individual and in a community. The folk songs speak about the history, narrate the stories of past incidents, heroic deeds, tragedy, peaceful living, oneness etc. which serves as a lesson to the present generation. This paper will attempt to study the role and importance of folk songs of the Zeme Nagas in peacemaking and reducing further conflict through selected folk songs.