Meet Dolly Verma, A Bihar Woman Who Is Fighting Against The 'Sarpanch Pati' System
Often referred to as ¡®Sarpanch Pati¡¯, this is a widespread practice not just in Madhya Pradesh but in most states across India, where the elected representative is often the proxy for a male family member because the constituency was reserved for women.
In August 2022, a video went viral on social media showing the oath-taking of office following the Panchayat elections in the state.
The only problem was that none of them were elected but were the male relatives of women candidates who won the Panchayat elections.
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What is Sarpanch Pati?
Often referred to as ¡®Sarpanch Pati¡¯, this is a widespread practice not just in Madhya Pradesh but in most states across India, where the elected representative is often the proxy for a male family member because the constituency was reserved for women.
In February 2023, MoS Panchayati Raj, Kapil Patil informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 21 states -- Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and two Union Territories --Lakshadweep and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have provided 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies Elections.
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How Sarpanch Patis failed women empowerment
The move to provide 50 per cent reservation for them in local bodies was hailed as a significant step towards women's empowerment. However, the sad reality is that the real power still lies with the husband or other male members of the female representatives.
While it is covert in many cases, others don't even pretend to cover it up, and it is not uncommon for a male person to replace a female candidate on election campaign posters.
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Sarpanch fighting against Sarpanch Pati system
Dolly Verma, a woman sarpanch from Bihar, has launched an online campaign against the patriarchal practice that continues to thrive across India.
Nguvu Change Leader Dolly, popularly known as 'Dolly Sarpanch', is the Sarpanch of 13 wards of Shadipur gram panchayat in Gaya says it is important for elected women representatives to function independently, without being dictated by their male family members.
"I am dejected to see Women Sarpanches being sidelined by their husbands or other family males in public forums. When the husbands and fathers take over as Sarpanch Patis or proxies, it is an insult to democracy and to citizens who voted in Gram Panchayat elections," Dolly said.
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From MNC to politics
'Born in Meerut, Dolly holds an MBA in International Business and was working with MNCs before she began her political career in her husband's hometown.
As a second-term Sarpanch, Dolly has seen firsthand how prevalent the infamous ¡®Sarpanch Pati¡¯ system is around her and how many husbands are running the show, sidelining their wives.
"There are instances where on behalf of elected women Sarpanches, their male family members or mostly Sarpanch Patis officially participate in meetings with government officials without winning elections. Nobody objects to it. In public posters and banners, their photographs are bigger or equal in size to that of the woman Sarpanch. Such behaviour goes against basic tenets of democracy and the Indian Constitution," she said.
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Dolly strongly feels that reserving 50 per cent of seats for women can serve no purpose if women cannot serve their communities without interference.
Pushback against Sarpanch Pati
The issue of Sarpanch Pati had become a major talking point nearly a decade ago. The then Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi proposed a new law to disqualify woman sarpanchs if they were found to have delegated their official powers to their husbands.
In 2015 even Prime Minister Modi had called to "put an end to the Sarpanch Pati system.
In April this year, a 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, chaired by Lok Sabha MP from DMK Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, had said women elected representatives in panchayats should be empowered and trained in leadership in order to prevent prevalent such practices.
Dolly agrees.
"I believe that if the government offers capacity-building training to elected women representatives, they can bring lasting change and empower other women as well," she said.
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Need strict rules, social attitude change
According to her, it is high time that rules are framed to end this practice so that people indulging in such practices face criminal action.
She also feels that society's attitude must change, and it should accept that women leaders can function independently.
"Since our society is deeply patriarchal, many can't even imagine women as political leaders and elected representatives. This social attitude will change only when we have more strong and independent women politicians and ministers. I am hopeful that with more girls becoming educated, even in rural areas, they will become more politically aware and about their own rights. I am sure that change will come, if not today, in the near future," Dolly said.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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