Chennai: Villagers in Keeramangalam's Seriyalur Inam in Pudukottai district elected 45-year-old social worker, Mohammed Jiyavudeen, from the five candidates who stood for the post of Panchayat president. The victor won with a close margin of 17 votes against the runner-up.
Out of a total of 1,360 votes, only 60 belonged to the Muslim community in the area. Yet, Jiyavudeen's victory by 554 votes was solely due to the Hindu majority voting for him. This was seen as an act of solidarity against the government's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the threats faced by the Muslim community at large.
"During one of my visits, I had observed how cyclone Gaja ravaged the area and there was a lack of resources to rebuild in its aftermath. That was when I began to invest my time towards transforming the village," said Jiyavudeen. "That was when I was prompted to stand in the Panchayat elections."
Kamaraj, a village resident, said, "He played a great role in rebuilding the village along with the local youngsters and till date has built around 15 to 20 houses. So all of us got together and convinced him to stand in the elections."
But Jiyavudeen faced opposition in the name of religion from certain local individuals who did not want a member from the Muslim minority to contest against Hindu candidates. The village elders had already chosen a man named Shankar as Panchayat chief at an auction for the post, and had even bribed a few locals to speak against Jiyavudeen, citing communal issues in the future. Despite the challenges, a number of villagers reposed their faith in him, which subsequently led to his victory.
"Now I want to completely focus on woman and youth empowerment, which will lead to positive changes in society," said Jiyavudeen. "The current tension around the CAA did not affect the election and my victory stands as a prime example of the importance of people's decision. Our village will be an example for everyone in India."
(With inputs from Varsha H)
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