The Hindu : Dalit panchayat chiefs fare better: study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Dalit panchayat chiefs fare better: study

By K. Ramachandran

CHENNAI April 28. Panchayats headed by Dalits have a good record in implementing development activities and providing basic facilities, while non-Dalit panchayat presidents are "not serious in these activities as they are pre-occupied with other activities," says a study done by a professor of the Gandhigram Rural Institute-Deemed University.

The study conducted in the Nilakottai block (Dindigul district) by Prof. G. Palanithurai on behalf of a Delhi-based NGO, PRIA, finds that the reservation of seats in panchayat raj institutions (PRIs) has created a new confidence in the minds of Dalits. Ward members and presidents elected from among Dalits properly execute development activities, provide drinking water, street lighting and approach roads to burial grounds in Dalit habitations. Group housing schemes have been properly implemented and right beneficiaries selected. The Dalit presidents see their leadership as an opportunity to work for the welfare of their community, as well as a challenge.

In such villages, the youth volunteers, traditional leaders and women belonging to Dalit communities freely visit the panchayat offices to interact with the president and officials. These presidents get their community support to enhance leadership. They also meet officials and get good orientation of government affairs.

Wherever Dalit women head the PRIs, ordinary women as also self-help groups in those communities get easy access to the panchayat office to utilise the services of the president for their development efforts. But the women Dalit leaders have problems in getting access to officials, compared to men.

On the downside, the study notes that Dalit presidents complain of lack of respect and recognition from their non-Dalit counterparts. At the same time, if Dalit presidents are bold and courageous, the officials deal softly with them. But officials do not show interest in meeting those with lesser communication skills.

Those Dalit PRI leaders who have got elected a second time also get more respect and recognition from officials, and work in tandem with the officials.

The study also finds that group rivalry among the Dalit community is a big hurdle for development. In general, these leaders have not yet established a grip over the administration. The field officials do no spend adequate time to go through the records and registers of panchayats, but instead merely glance through them.

The vice-presidents of non-Dalit communities form their own groups and harass the elected heads and some of them harbour the notion that Dalit women presidents do not have the capacity to administer development.

To analyse the condition of the Dalit leadership and their performance in the new PRI system, Dr. Palanithurai's study interviewed Dalit and non-Dalit elected leaders, ward members, self-help group organisers, panchayat clerks, block development officers and traditional panchayat leaders.

The study covered eight villages, four of them headed by Dalits.

It reports that Dalits, despite being a critical mass for social and economic action, their power has not been actualised because of inherent difficulties and structures. Hence, the Dalit leaders, especially women heads seek the help of the traditional leaders (read: non-Dalit or Caste Hindus) to run the administration.

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