From being Homeless to being the Village Head - my long journey

I remember the day I was thrown out of the house by my in-laws.

I did not steal, behave badly or so anything wrong to force them to take such a step

So what was my crime?

I cared for Dalit people in my area. They are people just like me. But my husband and my in laws treated them as untouchable.

I always liked to help others. After marriage, I did not stop that and I also focused on caring for the Dalit people, especially women.

My family was so angry. They did not like my work and my engagement with the Dalit people.

So one day they threw me out of the house.

But destiny was planning something else for me. The people who I worked with, asked me to enter the election of the gram panchayat (village council). And then the same people voted for me and elected me as the head of the panchayat.

This was 5 years ago. I am still continuing to do the same work and now I am focusing on economic empowerment of women from my area. I have seen many positve changes. But my biggest impact is perhaps my journey to the head of the village where I was once made homeless.