India’s fifteenth President, Droupadi Murmu, is an inspiration to many women. In India, her name is synonymous with women’s empowerment and social justice. In 2022, Droupadi Murmu, former Governor of Jharkhand, became India’s first tribal President and the country’s second woman President after Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Her election as President of India marks a significant milestone in the country’s political history, as she has broken down several barriers in a society dominated by men and people from dominant communities.
Born on June 20, 1958, in Rairangpur, Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, Murmu comes from the Santhal tribe, which is one of the largest tribes in India. Belonging to a backward community and low-income family, she had to work twice as hard to complete her education. She studied at a government school and went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the prestigious Rama Devi Women’s College. She taught Hindi, Odia, Maths and Geography at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre at Rairangpur and later worked as a Junior Assistant in the Irrigation Department of Odisha. She was also actively involved in social work and worked towards uplifting the tribal community. She founded the Maa Sarala Seva Samiti, a non-governmental organisation that works for the welfare of the tribal people in the Mayurbhanj district. Her work in education and social welfare was recognised by the local community, leading to the beginning of her political career in 1997 when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and was elected as a member of the Mayurbhanj Zilla Parishad. Later, she went on to become the chairperson of the Zilla Parishad in 2002. During her tenure, she worked extensively towards improving the people’s lives in the district by providing access to education, healthcare and sanitation facilities.
It was in 2005 when Droupadi Murmu contested the Odisha Legislative Assembly elections from the Rairangpur constituency and won by a considerable margin. As a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, she worked tirelessly for the rights of the tribal community. She was vocal about land rights, access to education and healthcare for the tribal people. She played an instrumental role in getting a bill passed in the Assembly to establish a University for the tribal community. In May 2015, Droupadi Murmu was appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand, becoming the first tribal woman to hold this post in India. Her appointment was a recognition of her years of hard work and dedication towards the welfare of the tribal community. As the governor of Jharkhand, she has been working towards the development of the state and has been a strong advocate for the rights of the tribal people. She was active in strengthening the state’s infrastructural development and has been influential in getting several projects off the ground.
In 2022, Droupadi Murmu succeeded Ram Nath Kovind to become India’s fifteenth President. She became the first President to be born after independence and the youngest to occupy this post. As India’s President, her first address to the nation after being sworn in was, “ My election is proof that the poor in India can dream and make them come true ”. Her election became a testimony of breaking the biases and level playing opportunities. She is an actual role model for women and members of the tribal community in India. Her appointment as the Governor of Jharkhand has opened up new opportunities for women and members of marginalised communities to aspire for positions of power and leadership. Her remarkable personality is a trailblazer for women’s empowerment and social justice in India.
Shruti Sharma
Shruti Sharma, a History graduate from Indraprastha College for Women. Her area of interest mainly lies with historical research, and inter-disciplinary research. Apart from this, she is really enthusiastic about visiting monuments and unexplored sites in Delhi.