I am 45 years old and have been elected to the Panchayat for the first time.
I contested the elections from a non-reserved post and won against two men
candidates. I have studied until Class VII and belong to a general Caste. No
individual from my family, neither natal nor marital, has ever been involved
in politics.Everybody in my family is engaged in agriculture and this is our primary
source of livelihood. I live with my husband, sons and daughter, daughters-
in-law and grandsons. My sons have studied until Class xII and my daughter
and daughters-in-law until Class x.I did not intend to contest Panchayat elections. In fact, I had accompanied
another woman who wanted to get her nomination-form filled. When people
saw me there, they made me fill up a nomination-form saying that I do good
work and am always a forerunner for any work that needs to be done in the
village. Even though the community supported my nomination, my family
did not, primarily, because they are not interested in politics nor do they know
anything about politics.I have participated in five training workshops organised by The Hunger
Project-SUTRA on Panchayat Raj. We looked at issues of Panchayat; Raj
Institutions (PRIs), domestic violence, Nyaya (Justice) Panchayats and so on
in these workshops. These workshops have helped me enhance my role as an
elected representative of the Panchayat. I am also a member of the State-level
federation of women Ward Members.A case of conflict between a husband and a wife came up in my Ward. This
case took such a turn so that both parties were unwilling to live with each
other. I put this case before the Panchayat and the Panchayat called them
several times to resolve the conflict. The husband insisted that he would pay
his wife maintenance but would not live with her. The role of the Panchayat
is not merely to resolve a case but also to understand the issue and address it.
I myself have been to their house a number of times to speak with them and
now they have been living together for the past one-year.Ambari Devi
Ward Member
Panchayat: Pattanali
Block: Kasauli
District: Solan