New Delhi: S Phangnon Konyak made history as the first woman member from Nagaland to preside over Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Last week, she also broke another record by becoming the first-ever woman member of Rajya Sabha to be appointed to the panel of vice-chairpersons.
Konyak holds the remarkable distinction of being the first woman elected to Rajya Sabha from Nagaland and the second woman from the northeastern state to be elected to either house of Parliament or the state assembly.
Expressing her pride and gratitude, Konyak shared on Twitter, “I am immensely privileged, humbled, and overwhelmed… I am delighted that it was a highly productive session with the passage of The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022.”
She acknowledged the significant progress being made for women in political leadership under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed her appreciation to RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for the opportunity. Modi himself retweeted Konyak’s post, calling it a moment of great pride.
Dhankhar nominated Konyak and three other outstanding women members – P T Usha, Fauzia Khan (NCP), and Sulata Deo (BJD) – to the panel of vice-chairpersons. Notably, all the women nominated to the panel are serving their first term as parliamentarians.
This historic decision ensures equal representation for women in the panel of vice-chairpersons of the Upper House for the first time ever, reflecting a significant step towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in the realm of politics.
