Kannangala GP president forced to clean swine shed

It has come to light that Kannangala gram panchayat (Virajpet taluk) President Y S Ishwari  was made to work as a bonded labour at the house of GP former president K S Gopalakrishna and  forced to clean the sheds of swines and bring the leftovers from hotels to feed them.

If she failed to do so, she, her husband and their two children were treated badly and were denied food, it is learnt.

Ishwari, originally from Kushalnagar initially worked as a daily wage labour at Arji village in Virajpet taluk. Later, she joined  for work at a plantation belonging to Gopalakrishna at Kannangeri.

Gopalakrishna made her contest the gram panchayat elections from a ward reserved to Scheduled Tribe (ST)  candidates. He too contested as a Congress-supported candidate.

He was ambitious for the post of the gram panchayat president and had tried to bring reservation for general category men. But his efforts failed.

According to the reservation rules, Ishwari became the GP president. Later, Gopalarishna started harassing Ishwari, according to some members of the Gram Panchayat.

After Ishwari took over as the GP chief, Gopalakrishna prevented her from mingling with other members of the GP. She was not allowed to speak at meetings. Instead, he would speak on her behalf.

She said she was forced to work on Gopalakrishna’s commands. She was not allowed to hoist the national flag during the Independence Day celebrations at the gram panchayat last year, they said.

Ishwari said she was working in a plantation belonging to Gopalakrishna from the last nine years.

She said she was paid Rs 100 as a daily wage. She was also made to work in other plantations, but, without any payment, she added.

The gram panchayat has six Congress-supported members and four BJP-supported members. The works are dominated by Gopalakrishna. When he was the GP president, the GP secretary reportedly committed suicide following misuse of funds.

 It is charged that he had misused the funds and put the blame on the GP secretary. The matter is being investigated by the court, it is learnt.

Though other members of the Gram Panchayat are aware of the harassment of Ishwari, their tongues are tight, following threats by Gopalakrishna.

Also, Labour leader P R Bharat, who has brought the issue to light, was threatened by Gopalakrishna. it is learnt.

Bharat said though harassment on dalits has been increasing in southern part of Kodagu, officials are doing nothing about the issue.

Gopalakrishna absconds
Superintendent of Police P Rajendra Prasad said Gopalakrishna has been absconding and a team has been formed under leadership of DySP Nagappa for his arrest. A complaint has been registered at Virajpet Rural police station.

Gopalakrishna has submitted resignation to the post of Virajpet Block Congress general secretary.

Rumours are rife that he has gone to Kerala.

Social Welfare Department officer Murali Durgappa, district labour officer Mahadevaswamy and Virajpet Circle Inspector Nagappa visited Kannangala Gram Panchayat office on Friday.

Ishwari has left the outhouse at the plantation belonging to Gopalakrishna and has shifted to her mother in-law’s place at Baradi village near Siddapur. 

Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza and Zilla Panchayat CEO Charulatha Somal have not turned up at the gram panchayat office, ever since the incident has come to light, it is said.