Medical Student Turns Sarpanch! 21-Year-Old Georgia Returnee Wins Maharashtra Village Elections

A village in Maharashtra has possibly got its youngest-ever sarpanch in the form of a 21-year-old medical student - Yashodhara Shinde. The medical aspirant is currently in the fourth year of the five-year course and returned home to contest the village elections upon her family's request. Her decision to give the elections a chance concluded with her gaining widespread support from the villagers and being elected to represent them.

Representing Villager Of Hundreds

Yashodhara Shinde aspired to serve in the medical field and was pursuing her studies in Georgia, but fate had something else in store for her. During the sarpanch elections back in her hometown of Vaddi in Maharashtra, the local residents approached Yashodhara's family and expressed their desire to have someone from the family represent them. Yashodhara's grandparents have for years handled the post of the village head and were widely respected as great decision-makers. To have the family continue the legacy for the larger interest of the villagers, they called up Yashodhara and asked her to return to contest in the elections.

Just as the villagers wished, she stood for the elections held on December 18, and the results declared on December 20 hailed her as the chosen sarpanch for the village. She has known the village like the back of her palm and now plans to work for the betterment of the village. The villagers celebrated the decision and placed their entire trust in Yashodhara's leadership capacities.

Setting Checklists

A report by NDTV conveyed that she plans to dedicate most of her time to the development of the village through progressive projects. Yashodhara was quoted saying that she would introduce provisions such as e-learning and other educational tools for students, help children adopt good health habits, contribute towards the betterment of youth's aspirations and formulate policies for the welfare of the farmers' community in the village.

As a woman sarpanch, she also placed special emphasis on empowering the women's community of the village and said, "I am of the opinion that women must get an equal chance to show what they are capable of, and I would like to make them educated and independent and not rely on their male counterparts." So on the ground level, she would be implementing measures to address issues faced by women and help them progress toward self-reliance.

Currently, her priority is to address the welfare concerns faced by her villagers. So apart from the projects that would add to the existing facilities, she stated that she would work toward the construction of sanitation and toilet infrastructure in the village. This also includes making sanitary napkins available for menstruators.

Additionally, to support the agricultural population in her village (which constitutes about 70 to 80 per cent,) she would discuss a sustainable farming framework. She would also be closely working with the youth on setting forth a development agenda best suited for the village. In due course of all these ambitious projects, she would also be completing her academic journey through the help of online classes and supportive friends back in Georgia.

Also Read: Being Self-Reliant! Woman Sarpanch From Odisha Cultivates Vegetables On Her Land, Encourages Healthy Consumption