Shraddha Singh, the first Dalit woman Sarpanch in Akouna Gram Panchayat, was denied the right to hoist the national flag on Independence Day.
Team Clarion
SATNA — Shraddha Singh, the first Dalit woman Sarpanch of Akouna Gram Panchayat in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, has reported ongoing humiliation and discrimination in the Thakur-dominated area. On 15 August, Independence Day, she was allegedly prevented from hoisting the national flag — a right she was entitled to as Sarpanch.
In a letter to Panchayat Rural Development Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, Shraddha detailed how his deputy, Dharmendra Singh Baghel, hoisted the flag before she could arrive at the venue and despite her informing Panchayat Secretary Vijay Pratap Singh of her responsibility. “This incident was not just about being a woman; it was a deliberate act of caste-based discrimination,” Shraddha said, calling it an “open example of humiliation.”
She also recounted another incident during the Gram Sabha meeting on 17 August. “When I asked for a chair, the Deputy Sarpanch and the Secretary told me, ‘If you want a chair, bring it from your home, otherwise sit on the ground or stand,'” she recalled.
Shraddha, 28, was elected Sarpanch in July 2022, becoming the first Dalit woman to hold the position in a village where about 50% of the 1,600 voters are from the Thakur community. Despite winning by 58 votes, her victory was met with resistance. “This was the first time a Dalit woman was elected Sarpanch here, and some casteist elements created a ruckus,” she noted, adding that the situation was temporarily resolved with intervention from district authorities.
However, the challenges persist. “Being a Dalit woman, I have always faced humiliation and discrimination. Whenever I try to get work done in the village, obstacles are created,” she said, expressing both frustration and resolve. “I am deeply hurt by this behaviour, but I will not give up. I will continue to raise my voice against this discrimination and injustice.”
Shraddha has lodged complaints with the Panchayat Raj Parishad and the Sarpanch Sangh of Madhya Pradesh. The issue will be discussed in a meeting in Bhopal on 5 September, where she plans to demand disciplinary action against the officials involved. “I will fight to ensure that such discriminatory practices are met with appropriate consequences,” she affirmed.
Advocate Vijay Kumar Azad of the Bhim Army – Bharat Ekta Mission announced that the organisation would hold protests and submit memorandums in all districts on the issue.
