Other States - Rajasthan   

Dalit woman Sarpanch holds the post; but wields little power

Special Correspondent

Prevented from hoisting national Tricolour at Independence Day function: Report

JAIPUR: A Dalit woman Sarpanch in Rajasthan, being victimised on caste grounds ever since she was elected, was prevented from hoisting the national Tricolour at the village-level Independence Day function this year. The Deputy Sarpanch belonging to a dominant caste is the panchayat's de facto head and exercises all authority.

A fact-finding team of the National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), which visited Biwai village in Dausa district recently, found an all-pervading atmosphere of discrimination against Dalits and discovered the servile status of the Sarpanch as an indication of Dalits being subjugated and forced to relinquish their basic rights.

Sarpanch Dhapa Devi, elected two years ago following the inclusion of Biwai panchayat in the reserved category, has been rendered a "rubber stamp'' as a result of machinations of the panchayat members and the support enjoyed by them in the village. "Dhapa Devi, being illiterate, is not able to resist the patently illegal actions of panchayat members,'' said the NCDHR report.

NCDHR State secretary Satish Kumar, who led the fact-finding team, said here on Thursday that the Deputy Sarpanch and the Panchayat Secretary were instrumental in the cases such as unauthorised allotment of land without getting the approval of Sarpanch and depriving several Dalits of their title of land to benefit those belonging to higher castes.

The four-member team found that Deputy Sarpanch Deendayal Sharma had wrongfully got his family registered in the below poverty line (BPL) category, while Panchayat Secretary Raghavendra Singh had colluded with other Government officials to fabricate orders for land allotment and preparation of meals in Anganwadi Yojana.

Dhapa Devi -- being the first Dalit woman Sarpanch in the village -- is neither given respect nor allowed to express her views in the panchayat meetings. Mr. Kumar said the Deputy Sarpanch, in collusion with influential people of the village, had ensured deprivation of landless Dalits from welfare schemes and perpetuation of untouchability.

Dhapa Devi was subjected to the biggest humiliation on Independence Day this year when she was not allowed to unfurl the national flag in the official function. The NCDHR report said when the Sarpanch was going to the panchayat premises to attend the function, a peon came to her to tell that she had no need to go there because a panchayat member, Bilya Meena, had already hoisted the flag.

"I was shocked on being informed in this manner. This happened in the main market in broad daylight and I was insulted in front of a large number of people,'' Dhapa Devi told the NCDHR team.

The NCDHR has demanded legal action against those who prevented the Sarpanch from hoisting the Tricolour, cancellation of illegal land allotments to upper caste people, establishment of a permanent police post in Biwai to check crimes against Dalits and immediate transfer of the Panchayat Secretary.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Call for special incentives to strengthen panchayat bodies
Dalit woman Sarpanch holds the post; but wields little power

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu