Women Leaders in Village Panchayats

I am the President of Thalayoothu Panchayat, Tirunelveli District and belong

to the Scheduled Caste Arunthathiyar Community. I contested and won the

elections in 2006 with the support of the people. My community pressurized

me to contest; they believed I would be able to solve a long-standing water

problem in our hamlet.

In my area, the Muslims and Pallars (another Scheduled Caste) predominate.

When I was elected and went to office, the problems started from day one.

The Vice-President, a rich and powerful man from the Muslim community

never allowed me to come to the Panchayat office. He said directly to me “you

stay in your home and your duty is only to sign the cheques which we will

send”.

When I refused, they started threatening me. They said if you do not obey us

we will kill you and remove your husband from his job. I complained to the

police but it was of no use.

The Arumbugal Trust, an NgO working in my District, encouraged me to

pursue my case. I then complained to the District Collector in Tirunelveli and

he personally came to the spot and asked the Members to cooperate with me.

Then the Vice-President played a new trick. He refused to sign the cheques

and would not allow any of the resolutions to be passed. He then started

canvassing with the other Panchayat members. They were all together and

never allowed me to implement any of the schemes. He then informed the

community that I was unfit and unable to do my work. Despite this, the local

people were with me and gave me their support in the gram Sabha.

I again met with the District Collector and he asked another Panchayat official

to intervene immediately. Yet the Vice President with his group of members

refused to cooperate. Therefore, the District administration suspended

the Vice President and the 12 members who supported him. The District

administration gave the signing authority to me and now finally the work

has begun. Initially I was purely a homemaker. I gained confidence with the

support of our District administration, to which I am thankful. The moral

P. Krishna Veni
President
Panchayat: Thalayoothu
Block: Manur
District: Tirunelveli