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Drupadi Murmu’s swearing-in this Monday as the 15th president of the Republic of India since the country’s independence from the British Empire in 1947 was hailed as a triumph of tribal peoples. At 64, Murmu is the first female president belonging to one of the country’s tribes, the second woman to hold the position, the youngest to access the position and the first born in independent India.
During her speech after being sworn in, Murmu said that her election was an achievement of all poor people in the country and that it is proof that the dispossessed in India can have dreams and fulfill them.
“It is a source of great satisfaction to me that those who have been deprived for centuries and those who have been denied the benefits of development, those poor, oppressed, backward and tribal people are seeing their reflection in me,” said the newly sworn in president.
He also recalled his humble origins, expressing that his journey in life began in a small tribal village: “In the environment where I grew up, having a simple primary education was like a dream for me… But despite many obstacles, my determination remained fierce. and I became the first girl in my town to enter university.
Murmu also expressed her “heartfelt gratitude to all MPs and members of the Legislative Assembly for being elected to the highest constitutional office in India.”
During her words, she repeated a message that she posted on her Twitter account just minutes after her inauguration, where she stated that her spirit is committed to world welfare, for which she will always be willing to “work with full devotion and dedication to be at the height of the confidence of all of you”.
मैंने अब तक के जीवन में जन-सेवा ही जीवन की सार्थकता को अनुभव है।
जगन्नाथ क्षेत्र एक प्रख्यात कवि भीम भोई जी की कविता की पंक्ति है:
“मो जीवन पछे नर्के पड़ी थाउ, जगत उद्धार हेउ”।
अर्थात, अपने जीवन हित-अहित से जगत कल्याण के लिए कार्य करना होता।।
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022
After the ceremony, the new president toured the Presidential Palace, where the honor guard was waiting for her.
Origins, hopes and realities
Murmu comes from the eastern state of Odisha and is a member of the Santal ethnic minority, one of the largest tribal communities in the country. His father and his grandfather were village chiefs in Baidaposi, Mayurbhanj district.
In her beginnings she worked as a teacher, before entering politics. She gained recognition for her activism on the rights of tribal communities in her state, she was twice a legislator and governor of the state of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.
She was elected last week by the Indian Parliament, in an election where more than 4,800 parliamentary representatives were called to vote, after beating the opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, with almost double the number of votes.
The tribal communities, which represent 8.6% of the population of the country, which has some 1.4 billion inhabitants, hope that she can help improve the situation of these marginalized sectors that lack health services, education and live below the poverty line in remote villages.
However, the functions of the president, according to the Constitution of India, are mostly ceremonial. The position is most significant in times of political uncertainty, such as in a hung Parliament scenario, as it can also send some parliamentary bills and help in the process of forming governments.
In her address after taking oath, President Droupad Murmu Ji gave a message of hope and compassion. She emphasized on India’s accomplishments and presented a futuristic vision of the path ahead at a time when India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. pic.twitter.com/I2DEO5wHbO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 25, 2022
He acts as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, but the prime minister is the one who has the executive powers, in this case Narendra Modi, who is the leader of the Hindu nationalist party BJP, which has a parliamentary majority and was the one who gave the accolade to He muttered to get her elected, just like his predecessor.
With information from Reuters, EFE, AFP and AP
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