A 37-year-old Dalit panchayat president in Madurai district says she has been continuously facing humiliation by the people of a dominant caste. Of late, she has been receiving threats on her mobile phone from unknown numbers, following which she has sought protection from the State government.
Vidya, who was elected as the president of Pazhayur panchayat in Peraiyur block in Madurai district, told The Hindu on Thursday: “Every day, the level of torture and humiliation is increasing. My mental agony can’t be explained over the phone in a few lines.”
She filed a complaint in this regard with Saptur police last month, based on which the police registered a case against a few villagers. But, there was no tangible action after that. Now, she said, she was under pressure to withdraw her complaint and go for a compromise.
In her three-page complaint addressed to the Director General of Police, Chief Secretary, Chief Minister’s Special Cell and the Madurai Collector, Ms. Vidya detailed her problems, said A. Kathir, executive director, Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO working for the welfare of Dalits.
In the 2019 rural local body election, Ms. Vidya, a graduate, was elected as the president of the panchayat, which had earlier been under “general” category. Ms. Vidya took steps to lay roads, provide potable water and install streetlights. When she started constructing a community hall, she started receiving threats to stop the work.
Pazhayur panchayat comprised Karisalpatti, Kattarapatti and Pazhayur. Except in Pazhayur, Dalits were in sizable numbers in the panchayat. When she planned to organise meetings in Karisalpatti and Kattarapatti, some ward members belonging to the dominant community opposed. “Five persons, led by one Bharata Pandian, verbally abused me,” she said.
Urine, faecal matter mixed in water
An Evidence team, led by Mr. Kathir, visited the village two days ago. The villagers told the team members that some people mixed urine and faecal matter in the overhead tank water in 2021. Some ward members showed them bottles filled with sewer, saying it was the drinking water supplied to them.
When 40 streetlights were fitted in the village in 2022, they vanished overnight. A complaint was lodged, but there was no police action. Similarly, water pipelines were damaged, and the police had not acted on their complaint, Ms. Vidya said.
Recently, Ms. Vidhya said, some ward members locked her office and pasted cow dung on her name board. When she complained to the police, they obtained an undertaking from the suspects that they would not repeat the act.
The police said they had registered a case under Sections 294 (b), 427 and 506 (1) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 (1) (r) and 3 (1) (s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015, and arrested Bharata Pandian.
