Activities

Workshops

• 2024 - Workshop for Anganwadi Workers

  Conducted team building workshop for Anganwadi workers and helpers of Sittlingi Village Panchayat

• 2023 - Workshop on Urban Governance and Team Building

  Conducted workshop on Areasabha for aran trust Sriperumbudur, also conducted team building workshop for Sittlingi, Periyakumati and Arangur Panchayat volunteers

• 2022 - Workshops on Local Governance

  Conducted workshops on governance for Naam Tamilar Katchi, Vaanavil Trust and Christian missionary’s life centre (Dindigul)

• 2021 - Workshop on Local Elections

  Conducted workshop on local Panchayat elections for social harmony front in Pondicherry

• 2019 - Workshops on Local Governance, Leadership and VPDP

  Conducted workshops on local governance and leadership for Vaanur Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives (SLI), Sitlingi valley Organic Formers Association (SOFA) and EGAM trust. VPDP workshop conducted for Kambur Village youth group. And Local governance workshop conducted for kanthanchavadi IT professionals.

• 2018 - Workshop on governance

  Conducted workshop on governance for SOFA & Sevapur Village people in Kadavur panchayat

Protests

It is the duty of each of us to speak out when injustices occur in a democracy. On that basis, we have come together as an organization to express our opposition to every decision taken by the government against participatory democracy through protest. In this regard, a summary of the protests we have carried out is as follows.

• 2025 - March - Protest demanding Panchayat Election

  Conducted Hunger protest to urge Tamilnadu government and Tamilnadu State Election Commission to conduct Panchayat election for 28 districts

• 2024 - Protest against Forceful Urbanisation

  Participated in various protests against Forceful urbanisation organised by the locals

• 2023 - October - Protest to dismiss a panchayat secretary

  Participated in a protest organised by the locals, demanding dismissal of pillayarkulam panchayat secretary who attacked a farmer on gramsabha

• 2023 - February - Protest against the late payment of MGNREGS wages

  Participated in a protest organized by the BKMU of CPI, ensuring the on time payments of MGNREGS wages in Erode

• 2022 – Protest Against Panchayat Act Amendment

  Conducted protest to urge Tamilnadu government to withdraw the amendments made in TN Panchayat Raj Act 1994, in the sections 104 & 106 (i.e Transferring the power to transfer and punish the panchayat secretary from panchayat president to BDO)

• 2020 – October – Gramsabha Meetpu vaaram

  Conducted a 7-day continuous action-based protest against the Tamil Nadu government for not lifting restrictions on holding Gram Sabhas even after the lockdown was lifted

• 2020 – February - Protest demanding that the Gram Sabha be given authority over TASMAC

  Conducted protest to urge Tamilnadu government to give the gramsabha the power to decide whether to have TASMAC shops or not

• 2016 - Protest demanding Panchayat Election

  Conducted Hunger protest to urge Tamilnadu government and Tamilnadu State Election Commission to conduct Panchayat election for all districts

TNUPK

The Tamil Nadu Panchayat Representatives Federation (Tamilnadu Uratchi Piradhinidhikal Kootamaippu – TNUPK) was formed on 2021 through a discussion with the Panchayat Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Ward Members who are working honestly at the Tamil Nadu level to strengthen the village Panchayats and restore their rights. Currently this Federation is working with us to find solutions to the problems faced by the village Panchayats and Panchayat Representatives.

Online Certification Course

The objective of this course is to provide participants with a broad overview of the local self-governments known as local Bodies. We believe that this course will encourage the participants to discuss about the local governments, grama Sabha, the opportunities/ rights of the common people, the need for participatory democracy and the current environment and to participate effectively in our own local governments.

We offer this course in collaboration with MSSW college. More than 500 participants participated in this course and more than 150 participants got certified.

Researches

Before fixing a problem in Governance, it is necessary to research thoroughly and study it. In that regard, we have conducted a research on Gram Sabhas and MGNREGA, which play an important role in local governments, analyzed it and published a report.

Advocacy

We as an organisation, work to raise awareness, influence policy, and empower communities to create lasting change. We always delighted to work for the government and with the government to strengthen the local governance and decentralisation.

In that way, we collaborated with experts, local governments especially Village panchayats, other like minded organisations/ Institutions and of course with common people to build stronger, united efforts for lasting impact. This efforts influences the government policy decisions and political parties policy decision.

We released decentralisation manifesto 2021 as a collective political document collaborated with like minded organisations during the state election on 2021.

We worked for some Village panchayat to help them to prepare the labour budget for MGNREGA work.

Also, We wrote articles in the newspapers and magazines, gave interview on the important issues, released statements and press release on various issues even went to the court for the solutions.

Events and Others

Working with the main objective of strengthening local governments, we have been meeting a wide range of people including women, youth, MGNREGA workers, women self help groups, village-based movements and public organizations and have been continuously working through various small meetings, discussions, seminars, trainings, in-person and online events. We have been organizing in-person or online events on every important days like panchayat raj day and creating awareness on various topics like Gram Sabha, Urban Area Sabha, Local Government Elections, Panchayat Administration, Panchayat Financial Management, MGNREGA, Corruption in Panchayats, and the importance of women and youth participation in Panchayats.

We held an event with the Panchayat Presidents and Ward Members who had contested and won the local government elections honestly in the last 2020. Similarly, in 2021, we held an event with the Panchayat Presidents in the Nilgiris district. We also provided a training course for women panchayat leaders in Thoothukudi district, coordinated by the Thoothukudi district administration, attended by Mr. Kanimozhi, Member of Parliament.

Furthermore, we are providing a call center service called the People’s Information Center for Local Governments, in order for the ordinary people in the panchayat to get answers to their doubts regarding the panchayat administration. Its number is 9443662058.

In addition, we are working with various organizations such as agricultural scientist Nammazhwar’s Vanagam, IGG, Arappor, Voice of People, Thozhan, Tambaram Makkal Kuzhu, Aran Trust, Vanmugil Trust, Vaanur Sustainable Livelihood Initiatives (SLI), Sitlingi valley Organic Formers Association (SOFA), EGAM trust, Vidyal Foundation, Key Stone, Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development, Agaram, Dakshin Foundation and many other village youth groups, as well as pioneer panchayat leaders. We have also provided some training in collaboration with Gandhigram University, Gandhigram Trust, Madras School of Social Work, Holy Cross College – Trichy, JKKN College – Kumarapalayam and many other colleges.

We are also working with the Azim Premji Foundation to form active volunteer groups in three panchayats.

To further strengthen the activities of the Thannatchi, we need the support and cooperation of all of us. The Thannatchi is ready to work with any like minded people like you. Feel free to join us and together we can strengthen the grassroots democracy.