Political Inclusion of Dalit Women in Panchayats: A Study from Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu

Although the constitutional guarantee of equal political rights is made available to every individual, half of the Indian population is not represented in the political arena in the name of caste, religion and gender. Until now, advantages of development and rights have not reached all sections of the society. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act passed in 1992 brought new reforms in the Panchayat Raj Institution. It had a relatively positive impact on the participation and empowerment of SC/ST and women in rural India. Although inclusive provisions are given to the marginalised communities, it has not succeeded fully, and still the active participation of Dalits unduly remain unexpiated. The dominant communities in our society oppose the opportunities and provisions given to them. This is even worse in the case of Dalit women who are even lower of the lower stratum and face double the oppression on the basis of caste and patriarchal domination.

In this background, three case-studies from different villages are discussed to illustrate the actual reality in the working of the panchayats led by Dalit women and the problems faced by them and their achievement. The data are generated through qualitative methods.

They remained marginalised politically, socially and economically and faced various types of oppression. However, some social factors like education, young age, family economic situation and community background resulted in the better participation of the representatives.