Updated 20 August 2020 at 14:42 IST
Dalit Panchayat President registers complaint over caste discrimination in TN
Two days after being stopped from hoisting the national flag on I-Day at a school in TN's Tiruvallur district, Dalit panchayat leader registered a complaint.
Two days after being stopped from hoisting the national flag on Independence Day at a school in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district, Dalit panchayat leader and president of Athupakkam village, V Amurtham, on Tuesday, August 18, filed a petition with the district collector.
In the petition submitted to the District Collector Maheshwari Ravikumar, Amurtham urged authorities to take appropriate actions against miscreants belonging to the Vanniyar community, who not only discriminated against her but also stopped her from hoisting the national flag at a government school. The petition also named panchayat secretary M Sasikukar who stopped her from fulfilling her duty as the president of the village panchayat. Notably, V Amrutham is the first-ever Dalit panchayat leader and president in the village.
According to a TOI report, Amurtham, detailing the harassment faced by her in the petition, explained, 'I strongly believe the reasons for ignoring me is my caste — I am a Dalit woman, an agriculture coolie, without any financial backing. I seek my rights and I believe that you (collector) will restore my rights and take appropriate action against the wrongdoers.'
Following the petition, the incident was also reported to the RDO (Revenue District Officer) against the perpetrators. RDO C Vaidya who reached Gummidipoondi's Athupakkam village in Tiruvallur District to conduct an inquiry along with her team assured that's action will be taken against panchayat secretary and other members involved based on the report collected by RDO team.
DC Maheshwari further noted that additional measures would be taken to ensure the rights of the panchayat president are restored at the earliest. Along with this, the petition was also forwarded to the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and the National Commission for SC/ST.
In her note to the commission, she alleged that she secretary Sasikumar neither gave her the panchayat seal nor the keys to the office. She claimed that feared for her life and therefore had to sign all the documents he asked of her.
'Fearing for my safety, I signed all documents he asked me to. Till date, he did not submit any records relating to panchayat development work,' Amurtham stated in the letter.
A local journalist and TV scribe from a prominent Tamil channel Puthiya Thalaimurai who went to the village to report on the incident later on Tuesday was also allegedly assaulted by Athupakkam panchayat officer bearers in Gummidipoondi. Journalist Ezhil, who visited the village to collect more information and report on the alleged caste-based discrimination, alleged that as many as five men attacked him.
Narrating his harrowing experience to TNM, Ezhil claimed that the journalist's phone was taken away from him after he was attacked by the panchayat's vice president, secretary, and three others, who later put him under solitary confinement to stop him from reporting the incident.
'Five people including the husband of vice president, and panchayat secretary attacked me. They snatched my phone and locked me in a room at 10.30 am. In the attack, I suffered injuries to my eyes and chest, ' Ezhil told TNM.
Published By : Pragadish Kirubakaran
Published On: 20 August 2020 at 14:42 IST