Across coastal villages in Puducherry’s Karaikal district, the ur (village) panchayat is all-powerful. These village councils don’t have state recognition, but they control the economic and social lives of the residents of fishing villages.
Ur panchayats dictate fishing rights – they allocate fishing grounds, oversee the marketing of fish, and enforce seasonal fishing bans. Even in personal matters, they have a lot of power. Every matrimonial alliance requires their approval. They settle marital disputes, including those involving physical violence and abandoned spouses. Violating their diktat can result in excommunication – a power panchayats often exercise, and residents greatly fear.
Even though these informal village councils dictate all spheres of their lives, women have zero representation in them. None of the 51 villages across Puducherry have a single woman panchayat member. Panchayats did not allow women to attend their meetings or even present a petition. Women relied on male relatives to represent them.
In this oral history, women of Karaikal speak about how the panchayats’ decisions have affected their lives. They also narrate how, over the last four decades, they have organised themselves to deal with the panchayat. They have mastered the art of navigating complex social hierarchies. In rare cases, it’s a full-blown altercation, but more often, it’s a tactical negotiation.
As a result, women have compelled the panchayats to allow them to attend meetings and present petitions. Bolstered, some women now dream of joining the panchayats…