People from Mudaliar Pudukulam village in Kamudhi taluk thronged the Collectoate here on Monday, alleging that a Dalit woman, seeking to contest for the village panchayat president’s post, faced threat to her life from caste Hindus and seeking protection to her.
After State Election Commission reserved the village panchayat president’s post for a woman from a Scheduled Caste, people of Mudaliar Pudukulam, Mela Villanendal, Keezha Villanendal and Thiruvarai, constituting the panchayat, decided to field M. Mariammal, a Dalit woman.
In the petitions presented to Collector S. Natarajan and Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan, Ms. Mariammal’s daughter M. Poochammal alleged that two men, who hailed from the village and were now residing in Madurai and Perunali, visited their house on Sunday evening.
They warned the family members that they would be done to death if Ms. Mariammal contested the election, she said, and urged the district administration and the police to initiate action against them and ensure that the election was conducted without any disturbance.
Expressing solidarity with the two Dalit women, a large number of people from the four villages, including caste Hindus, said they had no problem in Ms. Mariammal seeking election, and blamed outside elements for trying to create problem and disturb peace in their villages.
As antisocial elements had attacked the polling station at Mudaliar Pudukulam during the 2001 local body election, the police should post strong picketing there and ensure a free and fair election, they demanded.
