PALAKKAD: In the quiet, story-laden Kumbidi village, in Palakkad district, which once nurtured the legendary author M T Vasudevan Nair, a young leader is reshaping the governance and public service landscape. Sneha P, who in 2022, at the age of 22, became the youngest block panchayat member in the state, is more than just a public servant — she is a symbol of generational change, proving that leadership is not bound by age but by vision and action.
At an age when most are still mapping out their future, Sneha has already walked the corridors of governance representing her ward in Thrithala panchayat, and emerged as a symbol of new-age leadership. “I represent a rural area, where people look forward to governing bodies for basic necessities — secure homes, decent roads, accessible healthcare and job opportunities. In the two years as a people’s representative, I realised leadership isn’t about grandeur; it’s about listening, understanding, and standing up for those without a voice,” Sneha, who is currently pursuing her BEd degree in social sciences from Thiruvananthapuram, tells TNIE.
Her first taste of public work was when she stepped into student politics while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur. She contested and won the college election — an experience that laid the foundation of her larger political journey.
Then, while carrying out her studies at the Karyavattom campus, fate knocked at her door once again. A call from her party, the CPM, changed everything — an invitation to contest in a block panchayat by-election. “The weight of expectation was heavy. As a student, her dreams revolved around education, not electoral battles. Could she balance both? Would people trust someone so young? I was clueless,” Sneha recollects.
The campaign was relentless — early mornings, late nights, countless meetings, and a whole community watching with curiosity. Her youth became a talking point. “Some dismissed me as a child. They ridiculed me as an inexperienced kitten playing the game that grownups play,” Sneha said.
But the ballot box had the final say. The people’s verdict was clear: she wasn’t just a contestant; she was their choice. The Left retained the seat with a record margin, and Sneha became the face of a new political dawn.
But leadership isn’t just about winning — it’s about withstanding storms. Juggling governance with academics wasn’t easy. There were days when an important board meeting clashed with an exam, nights when policies and textbooks competed for her attention. Yet, through it all, her party stood by her, reminding her that education was never to be sacrificed for politics — it is meant to buttress it.
As she navigated the challenges of being a block panchayat member, she realised a deeper truth: Politics wasn’t just about roads and budgets. It was about perceptions. Society still viewed politics as a battlefield for seasoned men in white khadi, and students hesitated to step in, fearing it was a world tainted with cynicism.
Sneha saw it differently. Politics, to her, was about breaking barriers, about proving that young voices deserve a place at the table. But Sneha’s journey didn’t stop at politics. She saw another silent crisis gripping people — their battle with mental health. While governments debated policies, individuals continued to suffer in silence, their struggles buried under the weight of stigma. She knew she had to act. And, she did.
Sneha, along with her friends, launched a counselling centre in Thiruvananthapuram. At a time when stress, anxiety, and depression have become everyday realities, she has created a space where healing is not just a concept but a lived experience.
Sneha’s journey is a testament to the fact that change isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it begins in the quiet corners of a village, in the dreams of a young girl who refuses to accept the world as it is.
