A Dalit woman Sarpanch of Akouna Gram Panchayat in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, faced caste-based discrimination by the Deputy Sarpanch and the Panchayat Secretary, Mook Nayak reported.
The incident occurred on 17 August during a Gram Sabha meeting when Sarpanch Shraddha Singh asked for a chair. Both the Deputy Sarpanch and the Secretary refused her, stating, “If you want a chair, bring it from home; otherwise, sit on the ground or remain standing.”
Shraddha Singh was elected as Sarpanch in July 2022, representing a village of around 1,600 voters—half of whom are from the Thakur community, while the rest belong to Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC communities. She won the election by a narrow margin of 58 votes, becoming the first Dalit woman to hold the position.
This incident follows another act of discrimination just two days earlier when Shraddha was prevented from hoisting the national flag on Independence Day. Despite state government orders that the Sarpanch should hoist the flag, Deputy Sarpanch Dharmendra Singh had already done so by the time Shraddha arrived, despite her informing Panchayat Secretary Vijay Pratap Singh about the government directive.
In response, Shraddha has lodged complaints with the District Collector, the Madhya Pradesh Sarpanch Association, and the Panchayati Raj Council. She has also written to Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, detailing the caste-based discrimination she has faced. A meeting is scheduled in Bhopal on September 5, where Shraddha plans to demand disciplinary action and the removal of officials involved in such discriminatory practices.
