Dalit woman panchayat president face serious caste crisis
(Paul Ciniraj)
Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu, India) SVM News, September 4, 2007: Chandralekha Sankaran, a Dalit woman is the present president of Athichanallur panchayat, near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Previously this position was held by Shanker Ganesh, a Thevar, an upper caste man.
After the last election, Shankar Ganesh was elected only as the the vice-president of the panchayat.
In fact, Mrs. Chandralekha Sankaran became the panchayat president, because Athichanallur was converted into a reserved panchayat before the last local body elections.
But now the panchayat facing a serious caste crisis.
Ganesh Sankar, the vice-president has the majority support of the ward members by the base of castes. The six ward members comprised three Thevars, two Dalits and one Nadar. So Ganesh causing delays in the panchayat works.
Any hopes of exercising his will over the panchayat had been quashed since Chandralekha would brook no interference with her duty.
"The vice-president is doing everything to stop me from functioning. He does not like me sitting on a chair in his presence," Chandralekha said to the Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) News Service.
Unable to bear his caustic comments, Chandralekha lodged a complaint with the police, who refused to take action but forced her to reach a compromise on Ganesh's terms.
Ganesh Sankar had also instigated a lady named Arumuga Vadivu and lodged another complaint to the High Court which stated that eight men in the village had molested her, including Chandralekha's husband.
Chandralekha approached the High Court stating that this case had been foisted on the Dalits due to the election rivalry, for Thevars could not accept a Dalit as their president of the panchayat.
High Court ordered the local police to lodge a First Information Report regarding this issue. But Dalits do not expect to get justice from the police. In the judiciary they had faith.
SALEM VOICE MINISTRIES NEWS SERVICE (SVM NEWS)
