BHUBANESWAR: A blind candidate, Shantilal Sabar (40) of Dabripada village under Gandamer panchayat of Nuapada district, has moved Orissa high court against the rejection of his nomination for the post of sarpanch on the ground that he is not able to read or write Odia as required under the Orissa Gram Panchayat Act, 1964.
Shantilal, a Class X pass out, who contested the 2007 panchayat election, claimed he knows Odia and can write in Braille.
Shantilal had gone to file nomination hoping he would be allowed to contest and win the election for the sarpanch post. On reaching the panchayat office, the poll officials were surprised to see him filing his nomination. But they did not discourage him.
“I thought everything went on smoothly and expected to be in fray. However, on January 22, the day of scrutiny, the block development officer (BDO) of Komna rejected my papers citing that I can’t read or write Odia,” said a dejected Shantilal.
BDO (Komna) Sushanta Rana said Shantilal was asked to sign the paper in Odia, which he couldn’t do. “Functioning of panchayat can’t be possible with communication in Braille. The panchayat Act and the election manual bar candidates who can’t read and write Odia,” Rana told the TOI.
Shantilal, who sells products such as phenyl and candle through a self-help group, said it was a heart-breaking development for him after his papers were rejected. “I enjoy popularity in the area. I have worked hard in these years to serve the people. Blindness has never impeded me in my service to the people. I passed matriculation using Braille,” he said.
Shantilal said he moved the high court to get justice for himself and all those visually impaired people who aspire to represent the public and serve them.
Shantilal, who had finished third in 2007, said he could not contest in 2012 and 2017 as the post was reserved for women. “This time, as the post has been de-reserved again, I was hoping to contest,” he said.
Jadumani Panigrahi, convener, Jay Kishan Mazdoor Sangram Parishad, who is helping him in the fight against rejection of candidature, said, “In case of Shantilal, government should change the law and allow him to contest so that the morale of the disabled is restored.”
R N Sahu, secretary, state election commission, said the provision laid down in the panchayat Act doesn’t allow a person, who is unable to write or read Odia, to contest the election.
