Dalit woman sarpanch faces discrimination in Thakur-dominated village
Satna: Shraddha Singh, the first Dalit woman elected as Sarpanch of Akouna Gram Panchayat in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, has reportedly been subjected to repeated humiliation by local officials. The issue gained attention when she was prevented from hoisting the national flag on Independence Day, August 15.
Despite state government orders that the Sarpanch should hoist the flag, Shraddha arrived at the Panchayat premises only to find that Deputy Sarpanch Dharmendra Singh Baghel had already carried out the ceremony. Shraddha, who belongs to the Dalit community, described the incident as a deliberate conspiracy and an insult aimed at her because of her caste.
The discrimination continued during a Gram Sabha meeting on August 17, where Shraddha was denied a chair and told to bring one from home or stand. This incident, she revealed, is part of a pattern of ongoing humiliation and obstacles she has faced since taking office in July 2022.
With about 50% of the village's 1,600 voters belonging to the Thakur community, Shraddha’s election win by a margin of just 58 votes has not been well-received by some in the community. Despite facing such hostility, Shraddha remains determined to fight against the discrimination and continue her work for the village's development.
Shraddha has lodged formal complaints with the District Collector, Madhya Pradesh Sarpanch Association, and the Panchayati Raj Council, and a meeting on the matter is scheduled in Bhopal on September 5. She is demanding disciplinary action against the officials responsible for the caste-based discrimination.
Advocate Vijaykumar Azad of Bhim Army - Bharat Ekta Mission has announced plans for protests and the submission of memorandums across all districts to draw attention to this injustice. The response from state authorities and the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister is awaited.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
E P Jayarajan travels by IndiGo two years after self-imposed boycott of airline
Kozhikode (Kerala), Sep 13: Over two years after he decided to never travel by IndiGo, former LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Thursday night travelled to Delhi on the airline from Karipur airport here.
Jayarajan had in July 2022 decided not to travel by that airline after it imposed a three-week flying ban on him for his involvement in a scuffle onboard an IndiGo aircraft that was also carrying Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Confirming that he travelled on the low-cost airline, the CPI(M) leader said that he opted for Indigo in order to quickly reach Delhi to pay his respects to late party general secretary Sitaram Yechury who died on Thursday.
Jayarajan said that Yechury was bigger than everything else and reaching Delhi quickly was more important than what he had stated about the airline two years ago.
On June 13, 2022, two Youth Congress workers shouted slogans against the chief minister inside the IndiGo aircraft from Kannur, after it landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Jayarajan, who was also onboard, allegedly pushed aside the two protesters.
Following that, the airline imposed a three-week flying ban on the CPI(M) leader and a two-week flying ban on the two Youth Congress workers who had raised slogans against the CM on board the aircraft.
In the wake of the airline's decision, he had lashed out at it by saying that neither he nor his family will ever travel by IndiGo -- nationally or internationally -- and there are other airlines in the country which are more reputable and offer a much better service.
He had also said that he would rather walk to his destination than board an IndiGo flight ever again in his life.
The Youth Congress workers had protested against the chief minister over allegations against him in a gold smuggling case.
The two protestors and another Youth Congress member were booked for attempted murder by the Kerala police in connection with the incident.
