From wheelchair to sarpanch’s seat, this 49-year-old came a long way

Nirmal Singh (49) from Sabowal village in Lohian got afflicted with polio in both his legs when he was just 3. He was born in the village and is now ‘Sarpanch Saab’. The village has 800 votes.

With a very restricted physical movement, Nirmal Singh was confined to wheelchair at a very early age. “I felt I was struck for life. Things started changing once I started involving myself in affairs concerning my village. I began working with former sarpanches for the betterment of the village. I developed a deep interest in development activity that could benefit our village,” he said.

“Bound to wheelchair, I had very low moments in my life. I never thought I could ever occupy the chair of the village sarpanch,” said an elated Singh in a conversation with The Tribune after winning.

Once he got involved in the affairs of the village, he also mastered the process of getting official works done. “This led to people visiting him to get their jobs done, particularly the needy. In fact, he contested the elections on being prompted by villagers.”

Son of a farmer, Nirmal Singh extended a helping hand to his father in the work as a teenager. “Now, I do farming on 45 acres, of which I own seven and rest are on contract,” he said. Singh is married to a speech-impaired woman and has three children.