Politics overpowers gender in Bhoma-Adcolna

The government is yet to resolve the ongoing tussle at the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat, where a male deputy sarpanch is the acting Sarpanch for over eight months even though the sarpanch’s post has been reserved     for a woman
The State government may be quick to announce sops and schemes to women, but it is yet to effectively tackle attempts by vested interests to deny empowerment of women in the local bodies.
In one such case, the government is yet to resolve the ongoing tussle at the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat, where a male deputy sarpanch is the acting Sarpanch for over eight months even though the sarpanch’s post has been reserved for a woman.
It may be recalled that on August 17, 2012, Varsha Naik was ousted as sarpanch following a no-confidence motion and since then Deputy Sarpanch Damodar Naik is the acting sarpanch of the village panchayat. The seven-member panchayat has five male panchas and two women panchas.
Incidentally, three consecutive meetings to elect the sarpanch of Bhoma-Adcolna have been inconclusive as no male panch is willing to second the candidature of the other woman panch Mahima Naik to occupy the sarpanch’s post. On all three occasions, Panch Varsha Naik had proposed the name of Mahima Naik to the sarpanch post.
According to rules, a candidate needs a proposer and a seconder to stake claim to the post and in the absence of a proposer or a seconder, the election process cannot be completed.
In December 2012 and in April this year, none of the five male panchas showed interest to second panch Mahima Naik’s candidature while in October, five male panchas including the deputy sarpanch had boycotted the election process.
Residents are upset with the attitude of the male panchas and they gave vent to their anger by disrupting a gram sabha on January 27.
Accusing the male panchas of preventing a woman panch member from becoming the sarpanch, the residents have decided not to allow any gram sabha in future till a woman sarpanch is elected.
According to information, panchayats have to convene the gram sabha every three months, but the date for the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat gram sabha is yet to be declared.
This peculiar situation has also brought to the fore the political feud between MGP and BJP supporters in the village. It is learnt that panch Mahima Naik, who is a BJP supporter, was asked to join the MGP if she wanted the Sarpanch’s post. The five male panchas are MGP supporters, while Varsha Naik is said to be neutral.
Aware of the situation at the Bhoma-Adcolna panchayat, Directorate of Panchayats Narayan Sawant had told Herald that the matter is being addressed by the State government.
When the issue was brought to the notice of North Goa MP Shripad Naik during his visit to the village, Naik expressed his displeasure and had said: “I believe this is the only panchayat where deliberate attempts are being made to keep women away from their rightful role.”
“Since the Sarpanch’s post is reserved for woman, there should have been a woman sarpanch. Some changes should be made in the Goa Panchayati Raj Act, so that such incidences do not occur in future,” Naik had said.