Hekani Jakhalu Kense is a Nagaland politician and social activist. She founded the non-governmental organisation YouthNet Nagaland to assist Nagaland’s young in pursuing economic possibilities. In the year 2018, she received the Nari Shakti Puraskar. In the recently concluded elections of the Nagaland Assembly, she and Salhoutuonuo Kruse were the very first female from Nagaland to be chosen for the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly.
Educational Background
Hekani Jakhalu was raised in Nagaland’s Dimapur and attended Bishop Cotton Girls’ High School in Bengaluru. She graduated from Lady Shri Ram College of Delhi University with a political science degree. She later received a Bachelor of Laws from Delhi University and a Master of Laws from the University of San Francisco in California.
Professional Career
Jakhalu relocated to Delhi after living in the United States of America and established a profession as a lawyer. She decided to work with a law firm as a partner. Still, after observing for years while she is Delhi that numerous young people from Nagaland were relocating to Delhi, she decided in the year 2006 to relocate to Kohima (the capital of Nagaland) to establish a non-governmental organisation (NGO) titled as YouthNet, which seeks to provide more possibilities for the young people of Nagaland.
YouthNet employed 50 staff as of 2022 and claimed to have assisted more than 23,500 young individuals from Nagaland. It strives to assist entrepreneurs in pursuing their innovations and establishing a “Made in Nagaland” hub in Kohima to promote their artisan items. Following two years of operation, the “Made in Nagaland” centre established an e-commerce platform in 2020.
In honour of her contribution, Hekani Jakhalu received the Nari Shakti Puraskar award in the year 2018, which is India’s most prestigious award awarded entirely to women. She was the sole individual from India’s northeastern region to be awarded that year.
Elections Highlights
Hekani Jakhalu made history on March 02 by becoming the first woman candidate to triumph in an assembly poll in Nagaland. Dimapur III seat was won by Hekani Jakhalu. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party nominated Hekani (NDPP). Azheto Zhimomi of the LJP (Ram Vilas) was ousted by her by 1536 votes. In her campaign for the Dimapur III seat, Jakhalu outlined a goal for youth empowerment, women’s emancipation, minority freedoms, and a model constituency.
About Nagaland Legislative Assembly
Nagaland State Legislature consists of 60 members who are elected through a direct election for five years. The assembly conducts its sessions in Kohima, the state capital. The first Nagaland Legislative Assembly was constituted in 1964, following the formation of Nagaland as a state within India.
The assembly plays a vital role in the governance of Nagaland, with the power to pass laws, approve budgets, and oversee the functioning of the state government. Nagaland has a unique political history, governed by a separate set of laws known as the Nagaland Statehood Act of 1962. This act provides for a special status for the state, including provisions for protecting the customs and traditions of the Naga people.
