Sukanya Shantha 
Mumbai: Even as Maharashtra gears up for assembly elections, likely to be held in November, a panchayat in the state’s Kolhapur district has issued an unconstitutional resolution barring the Muslim community from enrolling in the voters’ list.
The resolution was passed by the Shignapur panchayat in Kolhapur district, one of the politically significant areas of western Maharashtra.
The resolution, passed on August 28, was officially communicated on September 5. It was signed by sarpanch Rasika Patil and states that the decision was made after an “elaborate discussion.”
“After a detailed discussion carried out by the members of the gaon sabha, it was decided that no new Muslim individuals from within the village would be added to the electoral list,” it said.
The gaon sabha is a legal body that can make recommendations and consider matters of importance within village limits. The addition and deletion of names from the electoral list, however, does not fall under the gaon sabha or the panchayat’s authority – it is entirely the Election Commission’s remit.
When The Wire contacted Patil, she claimed that the discussion arose in the sabha following an incident of “infiltration by two Bangladeshi women” in the neighbouring village of Nagdevwadi.
The Kolhapur police had arrested two women they claimed had allegedly come from Bangladesh and were living in the village with fake Indian documents. The women were arrested in May.
Patil further claimed that the discussion differed from what was eventually written in the resolution. She stated it was “not meant to target Muslim locals” but “only the infiltrators”.
“We made a mistake,” she told The Wire over a phone call. However, when asked whether the panchayat had the authority to pass such resolutions, given that changes to the electoral roll can only be made by the Election Commission, she said, “the Panchayat was unaware of this.”
Shignapur is a densely populated village located nine kilometres away from Kolhapur city. The village’s population stands at around 22,000, comprising mostly Marathas, with other castes including Buddhists and a few OBC castes.
The Muslim population stands at around 1,200.
While the village has not experienced communal tensions, the district has seen several incidents of communal discord in recent times.
The panchayat’s resolution was issued over two weeks ago, and during that time, there were no discussions about rescinding it. However, once the decision became public, the panchayat faced pressure to withdraw the resolution.
On Sunday (September 15), an apology letter was issued.
“We apologise to the Muslim community for the resolution passed by the panchayat. We will ensure no such resolution targeting a community will ever be taken,” the letter read.