Wikipedia
A sarpanch is an elected head of a village-level statutory institution of local self-government called the panchayat (village government) in India ( gram panchayat), Pakistan and Bangladesh. The sarpanch, together with other elected panchas (members), constitute the gram panchayat. The sarpanch is the focal point of contact between government officers and the village community. Recently, there have been proposals to give sarpanches small judicial powers under panchayati raj. In some states of India like Bihar, Sarpanch has been empowered to look into various civil and criminal cases, and given judicial power to punish and impose fine on those violating rules.
Usage examples of "sarpanch".
Then she went to see the village headman, Sarpanch Muhammad Din, and informed him matter-of-factly that the Archangel Gibreel had appeared to her in a vision and had lain down beside her to rest.
The villagers teased the Sarpanch: "How you got to be village headman with such a tactless spouse, beats us.
She went directly to the home of Sarpanch Muhammad Din and asked that the Titlipur panchayat be convened for an immediate emergency meeting.
At first the Sarpanch had wanted the carpenter Isa to construct litters that could be pulled by oxen and on which the old and infirm could ride, but that idea had been knocked on the head by his own wife, who told him, "You don't listen, Sarpanch sahibji!
Now he recognized the man at his side as the Sarpanch, Muhammad Din, who had chosen not to walk at the front.
Khadija, the tactless old lady who had been for half a century the contented and contenting spouse of Sarpanch Muhammad Din, saw an archangel in a dream.
He realized that their determination was even greater than he had suspected: even the bereaved Sarpanch acquiesced.
She ignored him, but on his way back to the station wagon the Sarpanch came over and said: "We were poor people.
Now, at the end of each day, a cluster of pilgrims would congregate around the Mercedes-Benz with its gleaming star, and Mirza Saeed would try and talk sense into them while they watched Sarpanch Muhammad Din raise and lower the mirrorglass rear windows, so that they saw, alternately, his features and their own.
After her speech the Sarpanch and Mirza Saeed were left alone in the station wagon.
In this he was assisted by the Sarpanch, Muhammad Din, and the former untouchable, Osman.
The villagers of Titlipur were grouped around their Sarpanch, Muhammad Din, and serious talks about returning to Titlipur were under way.