Dalit panchayat presidents face discrimination in Tamil Nadu during flag hoisting

In spite of the government trying hard to eradicate caste biasness, it still persists. A field study on the atrocities on Dalit at the village level carried out by the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Abolition Front has revealed shocking details of the level of inequality in the name of caste.

Chennai: A Dalit panchayat president of Tellavainattam village, Kallakurichi district, Sudha, along with 19 other Dalit panchayats presidents in Tamil Nadu, was not allowed to hoist the national flag last year. The TN Untouchability Abolition Front alleged that in 42 panchayats, even the Dalit presidents' names were not written on the board. The Chinnasalem tahsildar held a peace meeting and announced that the head of the Parent Teacher Association would hoist the national flag barring Dalit leaders.

The General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Abolition Front Samuel Raj in a press conference alleged, "Some of the village panchayat presidents in Tamil Nadu could not hoist the national flag due to caste discrimination. Some of them were made to sit on the ground. Dalit panchayat presidents faced caste-based challenges on Independence Day last year." He further added that the Tamil Nadu government did not take any steps to stop caste discrimination.

The Untouchability Abolition Front said that in case they are deprived of flag hoisting rights even this year, then they would hoist the flag on Aug 16 without interrupting the law and order of the state. In a field study carried out in 386 panchayats in 24 districts of Tamil Nadu by the Untouchability Abolition Front on the caste-based challenges faced by panchayat presidents, it was found that Dalit members elected to the posts of panchayats are facing caste-based challenges on a regular basis despite the efforts of the government to provide equality of status.

Condemning the act of discrimination during flag hoisting, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Irai Anbu clarified that the national flag can be hoisted by municipal and village panchayat leaders irrespective of their caste. He demanded that action be taken immediately on complaints received in such cases. Government officials should ensure the democratic right to hoist the national flag irrespective of caste, creed or religion. The SC and ST Commission set up by the Tamil Nadu government said that no complaint has been received so far.