Testimony of a dalit woman Panchayat president

“My name is Jayanthi and I contested the Local body election from the reserved constituency of Thandakaran Palayam Panchayat, Avinashi Taluk, Coimbatore District of the State of Tamilnadu in South India.

In my constituency only women were allowed to contest. The other five contestants were also women and they do not know anything about the Panchayati Raj system or the election process. By fielding them the intention was that we should not win but be defeated. They feared that if we won, other party people would join us. But after the election there was no problem. All was over with the election.

I have been in the Self Help Group for the past five years. Now it is my sixth year. Although I was in the Self Help Group even during the time of the previous election I could not contest because it was a general constituency during that time. Only a male candidate contested, but could not win.

The reason for not contesting in the previous election and for contesting in the recent election is to be seen in the point of view of my skills and capacities. I have undergone many training programmes conducted by some NGOs on the Panchayati Raj Institution. While I was undergoing the training, I began to think about contesting the election so that I could do something tangible for the people. Mustering up a lot of courage I contested.

After I won the election as President and took over the office, we had some problem in selecting the Vice-President as it happens everywhere. He belonged to the dominant community. The matter was that if an uneducated person becomes the President, the Vice-President would assume all powers in his hands. He would be invariably from the dominant community. Often he would manipulate and assume all powers including the power to sign cheques. The President would be unable to exercise his power and cannot question him. He or she would have to simply sign the cheques and sit quietly. In such situations the Vice-President would be de facto President and the President would be reduced to the stature of a Vice-President. That’s why there is problem in electing the Vice-President every time. However our Vice-President follows our advice. Krishnasamy by name, he belongs to the Bayal Community. We take administrative decisions in a committee consisting of nine ward members.

Among the nine members five are Dalits and four are non-Dalits. One of the members becomes the Vice-President. The four ward members (non-Dalits) did not support the candidate we proposed as Vice-President. The Dalit representation was six including me. The Vice-President is chosen by election. All the ward members exercise their voting rights in electing the Vice-President. The President can support any one. When the President supports a candidate, problems can arise.

People invite me to public functions at the school. With regard to family functions such as boring the ears, marriages etc., even though they invite me they would look at me only as an untouchable. Even today it is the practice. I don’t go for such functions because I feel discriminated. When it comes to other public functions, they don’t show their feelings of discrimination so blatantly. They had invited me to the School Annual Day. They could not do any mischief there. They have even invited me to family functions as well. If the function is held at their homes, they show their feelings. When it is held outside in a hall, they don’t show their feelings openly. They consider that I am polluting only inside their house. If it is a Marriage Hall, they treat me well. They give respect to me as the President and freely talk with me. The basic factor is that our caste people work in their fields. So they would view us only that way.

I have an unforgettable experience that I want to share with you.It is regarding the allotment for ten Group Houses. We started constructing the houses according to the BPL list. The construction was done with good amount of cement and it has come up to concrete roofing. Somebody whom we do not know for sure-whether Scheduled Caste or Backward Caste – sent a petition under the name ‘public’ to the Chief Minister alleging that the President and Vice-President of not constructing good houses. “They are using mud only and so the CM should take proper action” was their contention.

The BDO came from the Collectorate. He called me and said: “President, a petition has come. So many such things usually come. In your case this is the only one. Don’t be scared. Those who are not in your favour will do a lot more like this. You don’t worry”. When I told him that we involved the engineer and did everything properly, he said, “Don’t care. You do your work.”

My husband helps me in taking the motor for repairing. You see when the motor in a pump set is out of order; I cannot carry it for repairing. I know it is not my job. But if I entrust that work with someone he may charge some commission for his work. Then the expenditure will go beyond the income. Even if I do not carry it myself, I have to go. Don’t I?

After becoming the President of the Panchayat a great change has occurred within me. My personal capacities like communication and leadership skills have developed to a great extent. In the past, I was involved in educating the people about exercising their voting rights. Now I have come to realize what power I have. I have to think about what to present before the Collector when I meet him. This election has taught me to think about how to relate to others and to a councilor.

I have already got training in preparing reports and book keeping while I was in the Self-Help Group. I don’t need any other training. Our clerk is now under suspension. So I take care of his duties also. During the last term, accounts for Rs.1, 28,000 have not been shown. The former President had transferred that amount to the clerk’s account and he had spent it for some other purpose without paying the electricity bills. Even for that expenditure proper bills have not been submitted. Now that the clerk has been suspended, I am looking after the accounts.”