Sachin Rathod became the youngest Dalit elected representative of Ingalagi village in Karnataka in December 2020 with the help of YIF. Now, he has become a pillar of his community. Read how this “average” millennial transformed the lives of his fellow villagers.
Back in 2021, we published a story about the victory of Sachin Rathod, the youngest Dalit elected representative of Ingalagi village in Karnataka. We were fortunate enough to aid Sachin and his team in his journey to get elected but that election was only the beginning of a promise of a better life for his constituents. And since then, Sachin has been successful in keeping this promise.
His work is truly like that of no other politician. Why? Because it’s not just empty words hurled at crowds. It’s hard work for on-field projects and a commitment to seeing them through. A rarity, most would agree, in contemporary political reality.
If you go off of his Instagram bio, Sachin is a researcher, an “everyday sociologist”, and a social worker. He loves cats, he’s a dancer, and he loves to cook and eat good food. He loves to post selfies, captures of his travels, and of course, cute cat photos. So yes, you could say that Sachin is your “average” millennial. And perhaps, it is thanks to his average “millennial-ness” that his leadership has transformed his home in Karnataka.
Working to improve the everyday life of his community, Sachin has been able to develop significant infrastructure in the areas of education and sanitation. He does this not only through policymaking and implementation of programs but also by participating in the real-time construction of these projects.
Through his work, the village now has its very first community toilet, a leap in this rural region toward better sanitation for all.
Pictured below are residents of Ingalagi who would benefit from the installation of this facility, and among them is Sachin.
Other work undertaken by this young leader includes his initiative to increase educational institutions in the locality- as his term has seen the building and set-up of a brand-new primary and middle school in the village, a milestone for developmental achievements. Sachin believes in proactive involvement and buckles down to take a part in the construction work, displaying that he is not just a politician, but also a true community member.
His collaboration with MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005) workers in his village ensures that projects capable of empowering his community and its youth within a short span of time are finished on time. Even more so, this two-way cooperative effort facilitates much-needed employment opportunities for these workers, leading to a multilateral effort and benefits. The vision of better infrastructural opportunities for his community members, seen by Sachin, has resulted in holistic living for them.
Himself a product of the tumultuous 21st-century political climate, he is aware of the importance of one’s right to choose their own representatives and the legal disenfranchisement that may occur due to passivity. He has taken it upon himself to disseminate information on voter rights and register individuals in his surrounding communities, not for the sake of his own campaign, but to build a sense of political consciousness.
While Sachin’s story is inspirational, it also serves as a reminder that it is not the lack of political interest or knowledge among the youth, but the lack of resources which prohibits them from actively participating in politics every day. Young India Foundation has devoted itself to identifying and helping such leaders and providing them with the aid necessary to become elected representatives - having already supported over 50 candidates. We continue our commitment to ensuring this access for more young leaders.
Young Indians like Sachin, an “average” millennial, represent the ideal of the federalism success story. The epitome of a power-sharing arrangement that results in autonomy for a community and grassroots-level understanding and action. However, such distribution of power, institutionalized to any degree, is only possible when we have effective leaders like Sachin stepping forward to make a change. And at his young age? You bet he’s ready to lead for a good while.
