21-YR-OLD SUKHI IS SARPANCH
Kapurthala June 4:
A 21-year-old Dalit girl,Sukhi, has become sarpanch of this village in the recently-held panchayat polls.
It was not in the wildest dreams of Sukhi till a few days back, while engrossed in household course and stitching to help her family make two ends meet, that she would lead the village.
In fact, mother Piar Kaur was to contest the election. But for her Voter's Card, which was lost, she had to shelve the plan. Sukhi's father, Sucha Ram, a mason who had returned from Dubai some time back, was determined that somebody from home should contest the election and that is when she entered the fray. As the seat was reserved for a SC woman candidate and she happened to fulfil all requirement, there was no looking back.
"I also wanted to be active in social life but could not get a chance," she said, while adding that destiny gave her the opportunity and villagers also supported her wholeheartedly. If the lost card of her mother forced the candidature on her, it was a margin of four votes over her nearest candidate in the election that she has become a rare example of being sarpanch at such a young age.
"I want all round development of my village and want my village to be ahead of others," she says. I wish villagers remember me after I leave this village," she says, but feels shy of adding "after marriage". Harvinder Singh, a village resident who actively supported her said, "Though we are satisfied that all five candidates of our party won, more importantly, it is a matter of pride that our village has probably the youngest woman sarpanch."
Being young and fresh in public life, she would be working without biases and would be having more development-oriented approach than getting embroiled in petty issues," he said. It can boost the morale of other girls in the village, felt Sukhwinder Singh.
Kapurthala June 4:
A 21-year-old Dalit girl,Sukhi, has become sarpanch of this village in the recently-held panchayat polls.
It was not in the wildest dreams of Sukhi till a few days back, while engrossed in household course and stitching to help her family make two ends meet, that she would lead the village.
In fact, mother Piar Kaur was to contest the election. But for her Voter's Card, which was lost, she had to shelve the plan. Sukhi's father, Sucha Ram, a mason who had returned from Dubai some time back, was determined that somebody from home should contest the election and that is when she entered the fray. As the seat was reserved for a SC woman candidate and she happened to fulfil all requirement, there was no looking back.
"I also wanted to be active in social life but could not get a chance," she said, while adding that destiny gave her the opportunity and villagers also supported her wholeheartedly. If the lost card of her mother forced the candidature on her, it was a margin of four votes over her nearest candidate in the election that she has become a rare example of being sarpanch at such a young age.
"I want all round development of my village and want my village to be ahead of others," she says. I wish villagers remember me after I leave this village," she says, but feels shy of adding "after marriage". Harvinder Singh, a village resident who actively supported her said, "Though we are satisfied that all five candidates of our party won, more importantly, it is a matter of pride that our village has probably the youngest woman sarpanch."
Being young and fresh in public life, she would be working without biases and would be having more development-oriented approach than getting embroiled in petty issues," he said. It can boost the morale of other girls in the village, felt Sukhwinder Singh.
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