Tamanna Creates History as India's First Girl Child Sarpanch of Hisar Village

Kumari Tamanna has made history by becoming India's first girl child Sarpanch in Sarasod village of Hisar district. In this path-breaking Constitutional Girl Child Panchayat election organized by the Selfie With Daughter Foundation, Tamanna secured 169 votes on the Durga Mata's axe (Farsha) symbol, trouncing her nearest rival Aarti by 88 votes.

Record Turnout and Participation

Wednesday's election at Government Senior Secondary School, Sarasod, saw an impressive 94% voter turnout with 414 of 440 registered child voters casting their votes. Nine girls had contested for the post of Sarpanch, indicating interest in leadership in young girls. Further, 17 girl child panch members were elected to complete the panchayat structure. 

Counting was done openly in the presence of village election officer Ritika to ensure that the entire exercise met democratic standards, while providing a valuable learning experience for the children participating in it.

Vision for Change

After her victory, Tamanna listed her top priorities: to promote the Selfie With Daughter campaign in each household and ensure the well-being of children through improved health, education, and sports. Her agenda demonstrates an understanding of the key development areas that impact young people's lives in rural communities. Sunil Jaglan, founder of the Selfie With Daughter Foundation, has termed it a "historic first step" toward establishing 75 Girl Child Panchayats across India. This ambitious vision thus foresees the development of platforms where young girls can learn leadership skills and engage with concepts related to governance from an early age.

National Recognition

The elections were closely watched by Sushil Lahani, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, who praised the process and recommended that the Bibi Pur Model be emulated by other states. This high-level attention suggests potential for scaling the initiative at a national level.

Differently-abled children were also active participants, furthering the significance of the initiative in showing a true form of inclusive democracy. Their involvement ensures that leadership opportunities extend to all children, irrespective of physical abilities. The Constitutional Girl Child Panchayat has manifold functions: empowering the girl child, teaching the processes of democracy, challenging gender roles, and creating future leaders who understand governance from practical experience rather than mere theory.