Indian Dalit woman makes history
A Dalit woman’s elevation to the post of mayor in India’s Chennai city has been hailed as a breakthrough for her marginalized community.
A 28 year old woman from India’s socially backward Dalit community has made history by becoming the youngest mayor in India’s fourth-largest city.
Priya Rajan, a postgraduate in commerce, was named 49th mayor of Chennai city, the capital of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. She is a member of the ruling DMK party of Tamil Nadu and the third woman to hold the prestigious post.
With a population of 10 million, Chennai is considered the second-oldest city council in the world after London and was formed in 1668 by the then British rulers. In Tamil Nadu, half of the posts in city corporations and town municipalities are reserved for women and marginalized communities like Dalits in an effort to empower such groups.
Dalits are excluded from the four-tier Hindu caste system and face widespread discrimination in many parts of India. Dalits make up about 25 percent of India’s estimated 1.3 billion people. About 70 percent of Indian Christians hail from Dalit castes.
Priya Rajan being sworn in as Greater Chennai Corporation’s youngest mayor in Chennai city, India, on March 4. (Photo: chennaicorporation.gov.in)
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