‘Denied’ opportunity on Independence Day, Dalit panchayat president hoists national flag at Pudukottai government school

Tamilarasan who had hoisted the national flag at the Senthakudi panchayat office on Independence Day had a feeling that he was not given an opportunity to hoist the flag at the government school, says Collector Kavitha Ramu

Days after Senthakudi village panchayat president Tamilarasan who belongs to the Scheduled Caste had complained of being “denied” the opportunity to hoist the national flag at the Government High School in Keezhaiyur in the district on the Independence Day, he got his wish fulfilled on Thursday. He hoisted the tri-colour flag in the same school in the presence of District Collector Kavitha Ramu.

Thanks to the intervention of the district administration, a brief function was organised at the government school premises on Thursday morning when Mr. Tamilarasan, who was elected the village panchayat president of Senthakudi in Tiruvanrankulam block in the district in 2020, proudly hoisted the national flag, saluted it and distributed sweets to the students.

The function commenced with the Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu followed by hoisting of the national flag by Mr. Tamilarasan and the singing of the national anthem. 

Collector Kavitha Ramu told The Hindu over phone that Tamilarasan had actually hoisted the national flag at the Senthakudi panchayat office on the Independence Day. All the 497 village panchayat presidents in the district had established their constitutional right of hoisting the national flag at their respective panchayat offices on the Independence Day celebrations, she further said. 

The Commissioner of School Education had given a direction that the Headmasters of the schools should hoist the national flag at their respective institution. Tamilarasan had a feeling that he was not given an opportunity to hoist the flag at the government school, Ms. Kavitha Ramu said adding that she had not received any complaint from him in this regard. 

After the issue came to her notice, the Collector said the district administration decided to arrange a flag hoisting function at the government high school in Keezhaiyur and invite Tamilarasan to hoist the national flag to redress his grievance and also to ensure that he should not feel discriminated, Ms. Kavitha Ramu said.

In a brief interaction with reporters after the event, Mr. Tamilarasan said he saw this as a victory for all panchayat presidents.