Bonded labourer forced to be Panchayat president by 'master'
Synopsis
Eshwari can sanction policies only after Gopala Krishna gives his approval. She was not allowed to hoist the flag on Independence Day the previous year. Krishna confiscated Eshwari's documents such as ration card.
Eshwari of Kannangala village in Coorg district is a Panchayat chief of her village. Except that she isn't.
Eshwari instead happen to be a bonded labourer completely at the mercy of her 'master', the former Panchayat head KS Gopala Krishna. She is a titular head who carried out orders from her former boss because of the caste to which she belonged to. It is only now that she has decided to stand up to her 'boss' and has requested the police to free her from her boss's atrocities.
Krishna, to continue his hold over the village administration even after his term was over, nominated a bonded labourer who belonged to Scheduled Tribes (ST) category so that he could control the decisions made by the village Panchayat.
Being the Panchayat head, Eshwari holds no power in her own village. She can sanction policies only after Krishna approves of them. She is neither allowed to sit on her chair without his permission. She was not allowed to hoist the flag on Independence Day the previous year. At monthly Panchayat meetings, Krishna presides while Eshwari is barred from speaking.
The villagers asked Eshwari to file a complaint against Krishna but she refused to do so. With a change of heart, she finally agreed to stand up against Krishna's atrocities.
In her complaint, Eshwari stated that Krishna has been using her salary for the past 10 months and also confiscated all her documents such as ration card.
A complaint has been filed against Gopala Krishna by Virajpet police.