[Reader-list] Fwd: 1185] Against Dalit womenraj? ............. SUBHASH GATADE

[indersalim]

A recent study confirms that there is widespread violence against
Scheduled Caste women panchayat leaders

SUBHASH GATADE

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=Ws070209dalit_woman.asp

Recently, the Prime Minister participated in a programme organised to
review the work of Panchayati Raj institutions at various levels.
Apart from singing paeans about the success of this attempt at local
governance he emphasised training of the representatives to make it
more effective. But he avoided straying into stories of people like
Sone Deyee, who are paying a heavy price for their participation in
this bold experiment.

Sone Deyee, 55, elected as a Sarpanch (reserved constitutency) from
Ballabhgarh village, Bharatpur district, Rajasthan and her son Jal
Singh, 20, have still not fully recovered from the brutal attack they
were subjected to by the dominant Jat residents. In fact, the Jats
wanted to teach Sone Deyee a lesson as she had refused to part with
the muster rolls of labourers and records of public works executed
during her tenure.

Neither have the police registered a case under SC and ST (Prevention
of atrocities) Act, 1989 nor the leaders of mainstream political
parties bothered to pay attention to this case of miscarriage of
justice. And the perpetrators of the attack are still roaming free.

An added dimension to Sone Deyee's election pertains to the
unceremonious exit of the previous occupant of the office, Hardeo
Koli, who was similarly intimidated and thrashed by the same ruffians.
A fact-finding team of dalit rights activists found that Hardeo Koli
was blinded as a result of the thrashing by the accused.

But can it be said that Sone Deyee's case in the 'novel experiment' of
Panchayati Raj is an exception? One need not reiterate that, of late,
this experiment in 'devolution of powers' has earned lot of praise in
this part of South Asia. There is much talk of the 2.5 million
representatives getting elected at various levels, and the impact it
is said to be creating in devolution of powers.

Celebrations apart, it cannot be denied that this experiment has not
been able to address the internal incongruities arising out a societal
setup mapped by caste, gender, community and class indices. Despite
many instances of growing empowerment at the grassroots level, it is a
sad commentary on the state of affairs that it has largely failed on
this count.

A study titled 'The State of Panchayats: 2007-2008' done by the Anand
based 'Institute for Rural Management' (IRMA) rather reiterates this
point. Submitted to the Prime Minister a few months ago, it is
mentioned here in no ambiguous terms that sexual harassment and
physical violence against women panchayat leaders belonging to
Scheduled Caste households is 'widespread'.

Underlining the continuing subjugation of dalits in social and
economic spheres, despite the constitutional and legal provisions, it
emphasises the discrimination and harassment faced by the Women
Panchayat leaders belonging to Scheduled Caste category while
discharging their public roles effectively ( Bias Runs Deep, says
study - Hindustan Times, 27 th April 2008)

This observation of the IRMA team reminds one of the tragic suicide of
Urmila, an ex-Panchayat dalit women leader belonging to village
Dularia, Betul, Madhya Pradesh (November 2007). In her suicide note,
she revealed how she was raped twice by the son of the Panchayat chief
for raising her voice over misappropriation of funds meant for village
development. She further explained how despite repeated applications
to the police, no action was taken against the perpetrators. Leave
invoking SC-ST Act 1989, a first information report under one of the
clauses of IPC was also not registered. In fact it took six long years
for a mere report to be filed in the police station. Nobody was
arrested for the crime. Frustrated over continued denial of justice
and the connivance of the Panchayat head with the local police she
decided to end her life. The first arrest in this case came only after
her death.

Even a cursory glance at newspaper reports suggests that travails and
tribulations faced by dalt women Panchayat leaders like Urmila are no
exception. A few days prior to Urmila's untimely death, Sumitra Devi's
torture at the hands of the family members of the ex-Panchayat head
had made headlines. Elected as a Panchayat head from a reserved
constituency from Suratgarh, Ganganagar in Rajasthan, she was tied to
a tree and beaten up by them. A dalit woman heading the Panchayat in
village Beewai of Dausa (again Rajasthan) was not allowed to hoist the
tricolour on 15 August.

A few years ago, some concerned activists organised a public hearing
of dalit women heading Panchayats in different parts of Rajasthan.
These social activists later compiled the presentations in the form of
a booklet which was titled 'Dalit Mahila Sarpanchon kee Kahani - Unaki
Jubaani' (Stories of Dalit Women Panchayat Heads: In Their Own Words).
It specifically noted that the the dalit women Panchayat leaders were
exploited on three counts- being a woman, a dalit and poor.' Their
experience had demonstrated that while dalits/women might have been
able to get elected to different posts in the Panchayat because of the
policy of affirmative action, the real goals of decentralisation of
powers and empowerment were still a far cry.

The experiences of the Panchayat leaders from Rajasthan rather
corroborate what the IRMA report says.
Woman Panchayat leaders face discrimination at the level of Panchayat
at the hands of fellow members belonging to dominant castes and they
are also subjected to humiliating treatment by the government
officials in the department of rural development. The report rightly
states "the provision of no-confidence motions is very deviously used
to further dominate elected panchayat representatives from the SC
category."

Chhagibai from Rasoolpura, Ajmer a Panchayat head was the first lady
to depose before the jury in the public hearing. She shared how the
dominant caste members ganged up against her and removed her by
bringing a no-confidence motion against her. They alleged that
Chhagibai was not 'interested in development work' while she had
enough proof about her initiative to start development work. The
administration also remained a mute spectator. Kesan bai from Shergarh
Panchayat was not even allowed to enter the Panchayat office when she
got elected as head of the Panchayat. When somehow she managed to
enter the office, she was not allowed to sit on the chair. Panchayat
members belonging to the dominant castes tried to bring a
no-confidence motion against her four times but since representatives
belonging to scheduled category were in majority in the Panchayat they
could not succeed in their venture.

The IRMA report has suggested few measures to rectify the situation:
that social justice committees be formed at various levels in the
Panchayati Raj system, that the Panchayats headed by scheduled caste
representative be given special grants by the Union ministry and the
provision of no-confidence motion be amended suitably so that it is
not misused.