Women Leaders in Village Panchayats

I live with my parents and other family members in Kantapali village, gram

Panchayat of gandamer, which is twenty five kilometres away from the block

headquarters of Komna. I have studied up to the 9th standard and am 24

years old. My father is a Sanparda artist (a local folk art using both song and

dance with music) subsisting on an artist pension from the state government.

We belong to the barber community are still carrying on with our traditional

occupation. In the elections, February 2007, our ward was reserved for OBC

(W). Inspired by my elder sister, who was the Ward Member of our Ward

from 2002 to 2007, I contested for the post along with two other candidates

and won by a margin of ninety votes. The good deeds of my elder sister helped

me win the election.

After I came to the post I realized my lack of knowledge about the Panchayati

Raj system and found it difficult going to the gram Panchayat’s office to raise

issues of my Ward. It was my good fortune that I got three days training by

THP-FARR from The knowledge that I gained in the workshop boosted my

confidence and now am able to raise issues concerning my village in general

and protesting against Panchayat irregularities in particular. This is reflected

in my deeds.

A gram Sabha was organized at the gandamer gram Panchayat office on 25

July ’08 and was attended by the male President, all 11-ward members along

with four EWRs, the gP secretary, and around 250 villagers (of which 30-40

were women). At the onset of the sabha, the President asked all ward members

to give in writing, the issues they wanted to discuss or the activities they wanted

to implement in their Ward. When all had handed over their notes, they were

asked to sign upon the register. When it came to my turn, I found to my shock

that nothing I had wanted was in the register! Rather some other activities

were mentioned there. I immediately brought this matter to the notice of the

Vice-President. We, then jointly raised this issue, and opposed it. We asked

the President to cancel the current resolution copy and enter our demands in

another resolution, but this was turned down. I raised my voice and crossed

out the entries in the resolution copy in the register itself. The President and

Panchayat Secretary were angered by this and started to quarrel and even used

Padmini Barik
Panchayat: gandamer
Block: Komna
District: Nuapada