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AIDWA questions panchayat verdict

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 22. No doubt a village panchayat issuing a sentence of gang rape of a woman for "immoral conduct'' and another banishing a young girl for "becoming pregnant", are crimes against women, but the cases reported from Madhya Pradesh over the past month also question the democratic credentials of the panchayati raj system which "became an instrument to legitimise retrograde practices'' in both instances.

This is the question that has been raised by a team of the All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) which toured Sankarikala village in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh to investigate the case of the village panchayat sentencing a school teacher, Bhuvaneswari Devi, to gang rape to "punish" her for an alleged sexual involvement.

In the second instance, the girl from a neighbouring village was thrown out of her house by the panchayat that accused her of being pregnant.

Though it turned out that the girl had a tumour in her stomach, she and her family continue to be ostracised, with the panchayat refusing to allow her back into the village.

Based on their visit to Sankarikala, the AIDWA team has questioned the authority of the village panchayat to hold a meeting to discuss the "immoral behaviour'' of a teacher.

While holding the elected sarpanch guilty of delivering a sentence of gang rape, the association questioned his remaining in that post and alleged that he enjoyed the protection of a conniving administration. The district administration refused to register a report at first.

And, when it did, the sarpanch and others were booked under sections relating to the use of obscene language against a woman and released on bail.

However, Bhuvaneswari Devi has been transferred to a remote school.

Besides demanding punitive action against the panchayat members for misusing their powers, the AIDWA has also demanded that they be removed from the elected posts under Section 40 of the Panchayats Act.

Also, cases should be booked against the sarpanch and others under relevant sections of conspiracy and attempt to rape, molestation and defamation; some of which are non-bailable offences.

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