West Bengal Panchayat Elections: Three Catholic Women Emerge Victors

Isaac Gomes –

Amidst the news of West Bengal Panchayat election results for the three-tier panchayat polls held for 63,229 Gram Panchayat seats, 9,728 Panchayat Samiti seats, and 928 Zilla Parishad seats,  where the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is sweeping the polls, there are some pleasant surprises for the Christian Community of Bengal.

Kanchan Das Barui with her husband.

In the plains of Bengal that is Bongaon (24 Parganas North), Ms Kanchan Das Barui, won in Gram Panchayat election from Shantipara on a TMC ticket by a margin of 61 votes.  She belongs to St Joseph’s Parish Bongaon, under the Archdiocese of Calcutta.  She deserves hearty congratulations for bringing laurels to the Archdiocese of Calcutta.

Neela Subba with her sons Arnav on her right and Adarsh on left.  Her husband Raymond is on extreme right.

In Kalimpong (Sansad I & II – Tashiding GP), another Catholic lady Mrs Neela Subba won in Panchayat Samiti election against her BJP rival by 21 votes.  Neela belongs to St Teresa’s Parish, Kalimpong and was fielded by Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM). The president of the party is Anit Thapa who also is the Chief Executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) which is an autonomous body to look after the development of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and some areas of Siliguri.  Neela has two sons and her husband Raymond is a reputed footballer and a senior teacher in St Augustine’s School, Kalimpong. Being a full-time homemaker, it’s a very creditable achievement for Neela who has tasted success in her maiden appearance in local politics. She will have an active role in deciding the funding of Gram Panchayats under her jurisdiction.

Incidentally, in another electoral success, Catholic lady from the Darjeeling hills, Ms Anju Bomzon, won uncontested in the West Bengal Gram Panchayat election from Maria Busty, Kalimpong. She belongs to Vijaya Rani Girja (built by Fr Hervagault in 1910) situated on the hill opposite to Pedong at the lap of Ruchela Peak, which is the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Kalimpong. Incidentally, Ms Anju’s sister Mrs Gladys Bomzon is a judge. She was posted for several years in Sealdah Court, Kolkata and is now transferred to North Bengal. So we have a hat-trick of women victors in the three-tier West Bengal Panchayat elections.

By the way, the Panchayat Samiti collects all the prospective plans prepared at Gram Panchayat level and processes them for funding and implementation by evaluating them from the angles of financial constraints, social welfare, and area development.

The Zila (District) Parishad is an official body that coordinates the activities of the Panchayats in all its developmental activities, such as minor irrigation works, vocational and industrial schools, village industries, sanitation, and public health among others. Panchayat Samiti plays a big role with the Zila Parishad in coordinating all the development funds for various Gram Panchayats.

The victory of the three Catholic ladies is a big inspiration for the Christian Community of Bengal as a whole.  Their success augers well for laity leadership, especially women empowerment, at the grassroots level in keeping with the ensuing Synod to be held in Rome – the first part from October 4 to 29, 2023, and the second in October 2024.

The above three victories by our Catholic women are in keeping with the Vatican-II document Lumen Gentium (Chapter 4):

“All the laity have the exalted duty of working for the ever greater spread of the divine plan of salvation to all of humanity of every epoch and over all the earth. Therefore may the way be clear for them to share diligently in the salvific work of the Church according to their ability and the needs of the time (Lumen Gentium #33). By reason of the knowledge, competence or pre-eminence which they have the laity are empowered—indeed sometimes obliged—to manifest their opinion on those things which pertain to the good of the Church (Lumen Gentium #37).

Bishops, parish priests and other priests of the secular and regular clergy will remember that the right and duty of exercising the apostolate are common to all the faithful…and that in the building up of the Church the laity too have parts of their own to play (Apostolicam Actuositatem #25). The pastors, indeed, should recognize and promote the dignity and responsibility of the laity in the Church. They should willingly use their prudent advice and confidently assign duties to them in the service of the Church, leaving them freedom and scope for acting. Indeed, they should give them the courage to undertake works on their own initiative (Lumen Gentium #37).

Priests are to be sincere in their appreciation and promotion of lay people’s dignity and of the special role the laity have to play in the Church’s mission…They should be willing to listen to lay people, give brotherly consideration to their wishes, and recognize their experience and competence in the different fields of human activity. In this way they will be able to recognize along with them the signs of the times (Presbyterorum Ordinis #9).”

It is sincerely hoped that our local shepherds will felicitate Kanchan, Neela and Anju for their stupendous victory and make good use of them to promote lay leadership.