The Dalit community of Bijnu Bijnad village in Uttarakhand’s remote Jaunsar-Bawar region has taken a historic step by electing its own ‘Syana’, or village head, for the first time in nearly 150 years. This move breaks a long-standing social convention that kept Dalits out of village leadership.
For generations, villages in this area shared a single Syana chosen only from dominant and affluent Rajput families. Dalits were never considered for the position, even though the Syana plays an important role in mediating disputes and representing the village. This system, rooted in caste hierarchy, continued from the British era up to the present.
“Earlier, there was only one Syana for the whole village. Now, we will have two,” a resident who participated in the election told the New Indian Express. The newly elected Dalit Syana was celebrated with a traditional procession, riding atop a wooden elephant.
Because the decision challenged a deeply rooted social order, the 35 Dalit families needed support from the local police to ensure the transition happened peacefully and without resistance from dominant groups.
Bharat Singh Rana, a former Pradhan and social activist from a nearby panchayat, said the community’s decision overturns a system that has existed for at least 150 to 200 years. “It is hard to say exactly when Dalits were excluded, because it was based on custom and hierarchy, not written law,” he said. “If we consider the British period as the starting point, this step challenges a structure that has been in place for generations.”
Rana added that the move carries even more meaning in the context of modern India. “In a country that talks about reservation and social justice, this decision is an important attempt to break the 75-year-old inequality that continued even after Independence,” he said.
