Meghalaya has led by example in displaying what it is to graduate from women rights to women empowerment. The state has for the first time placed women at the helm of affairs with women heading both the civil service and police services.
Chief Secretary of Meghalaya
The 1989-batch IAS officer Rebecca Suchiang took over the Chief Secretary of the state in September last year. The Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer also became the first indigenous (Khasi-Jaintia) women Chief Secretary. At the time of taking over, while speaking to the press, she had mentioned health and education infrastructure among her top priorities.
The lady IPS Officer
In the last week of December, last year, senior IPS officer Idashisha Nongrang was appointed as the acting Director General of Police. While the process to select a new DGP also began along the way, but her appointment enabled that the state is currently in the hands of strong women occupying the most crucial positions.
Idashisha Nongrang, a 1992 batch IPS officer is currently serving as the Special Director General of Police and is temporarily allowed to look after the office of Director General of Police, Meghalaya.
While the process to appoint new DGP is underway, several probable names have been floating in the local media.
Local Congress leader Process T Sawkmie, in a statement, recently urged the state government to appoint Nongrang as the next DGP. "As the senior-most IPS officer currently serving in the state, she deserves it," he said. "RV Suchiang recently became the first Khasi woman to become the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya. It will be equally historic if Nongrang becomes the state's first Khasi woman DGP."
Of empowered women and North East India
Social watchdogs have often attributed empowered women to matriarchal set-ups in the North East. It was only about a week earlier in December of 2021 that 2005 batch IPS officer of Assam Meghalaya cadre broke another glass ceiling. Violet Baruah became the first ever woman to get promoted to the rank of Inspector General in Assam Police.
The Home Department of Assam government promoted Baruah to the rank of Inspector General of Police with effect from January 1 of this year. While elated over the news, Baruah highlighted that it wasn't just gender empowerment, what the need of the hour was, "gender mainstreaming." She added, "I personally opted for a field job and did not face any barrier in that. Nowadays many women have come forward to join the police, but I feel more should come."
