http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/25/stories/2010092554440500.htm
Tamil Nadu - Madurai
Dalit panchayat president alleges sidelining by colleagues
D. Karthikeyan
MADURAI: S. Karuppan, panchayat president of Kottakachiyenthal village
in Virudhunagar district, is an elected Dalit representative. But, he
alleges that the meaning of grassroots democracy and local governance
is still not within his grasp.
He is the president of a village, which is one among the four reserved
panchayats, the others being Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattamangalam
(all in Madurai district), where elections could not be held owing to
non-cooperation to the rotational reservation policy by caste Hindus.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government earned appreciation for
restoring the democratic set-up by conducting elections in 2006.
Mr. Karuppan, who belongs to the Arunthathiyar sub-caste, alleged that
panchayat president's office had been usurped by the vice-president,
who had taken advantage of his ill health following an accident. Even
after recovery, he was prevented from executing his duties.
The Panchayat president told The Hindu here on Friday that there was
no freedom for him to function independently. The vice-president, by
appointing his relative as the panchayat clerk, had become the de
facto president.
Mr. Karuppan also alleged that he was forced to sign blank cheques
without being briefed about their utilisation. There was no
cooperation from the dominant caste members at panchayat council
meetings. There was no access to panchayat records, account books and
registers.
He also said that work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme was not being allotted regularly and the
details of the work were not made available to him.
His wife K. Irulayi, a member of Ward 3, alleged there were
irregularities in distributing wages and often the beneficiaries were
given Rs.60 or 70 and not the allotted wage of Rs.100.
MNREGS has helped the Dalits here to escape dependency and move beyond
the confines of the dominant castes and provided them a sort of
independence. The weak economic platform provided by agricultural
labour compounded by the seasonal nature of farm work has now resulted
in these families moving for jobs in brick kiln units.
Mr. Karuppan said that the village was facing acute shortage of
drinking water and residents had to go to distant Irunjirai Vilakku to
fetch water. They used to transport the water pots in buses but now
the crew of State Transport Corporation buses do not allow them to
carry water pots.
Equal Rights, a non-governmental organisation working among Dalits in
Madurai, visited the village on September 7 to conduct a study.
The demands put forth by the president include appointment of a clerk
from another village who is adept in local administration,
investigation into the working of the panchayat by officials of the
Department of Adi Dravidar Welfare, enhancement of salary of the
president to Rs.7,000 per month and extension of the panchayat's
reserved status.
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