Gender equality? Not here!

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani Rohillan (Hisar), January 21

A year after Haryana’s only all-woman panchayat was unanimously elected in Bhiwani Rohillan village, its members are yet to get rid of the ‘chulha chauka’ to take practical charge of panchayat functioning.

The panchayat members, including sarpanch Asha Rani, stayed away from proceedings while men interacted on their behalf in a crucial meeting organised by INLD MP Dushyant Chautala to chalk out the development plan of the village today.

The MP took a team of district officials with him to the village he had adopted for setting an example by unanimous election of an all-woman panchayat, which symbolised women empowerment.

Sarpanch Asha Rani made a brief appearance during the meeting, but remained a silent spectator to the proceedings. A couple of panches who went to the meeting were reduced to non-entities. The sarpanch’s husband, Manoj Kumar, interacted with the MP and officials in the meeting.

At one point, the MP had to intervene by reminding Manoj that it was his wife who was the sarpanch of the village, but his words made little difference in the goings-on.

Sunita, a panch who attended the meeting, told The Tribune that she got a message about the meeting last evening. “My husband and I went to the venue, but were reduced to mute spectators. The panchayat should have met in advance to discuss women-specific issues before this meeting,” she said.

Her husband, Surender, admitted that women panchayat representatives were yet to learn the skills of functioning and governance.

An elderly man at the venue said women were novices in panchayat politics. He said they were not ready yet to take charge of activities as practically men representing them were taking all decisions.

“The sarpanch’s elder brother-in-law Chandi Ram is looking after panchayat affairs now. He had lost the previous sarpanch’s election by a narrow margin. We hope that women will be trained soon so that they are able to take decisions independently,” he said.