By Er. Prabhat Kishore
History was created in India when the first tribal woman was elected to the country’s highest constitutional office on 25 July 2022. The contest between Draupadi Murmu of the ruling alliance and Yashwant Sinha of the opposition parties for the post of President of India had reached its final stage. The arithmetic of the electoral college had already confirmed that the contest would be one sided, making the election largely a formality. It would have been better if all political parties had reached a consensus on a common candidate for this constitutional post.
Presently, both the government and society are working towards the empowerment and equality of women through many ambitious programmes. Women serving in various positions have become role models for girls who dream of a prosperous future. The elevation of Draupadi Murmu to the highest office in the country, which has the second largest population in the world, has proved to be a catalyst for social change. Undoubtedly, her election as President has been a milestone in Indian history.
Draupadi Murmu has travelled a remarkable political journey from humble beginnings to the highest constitutional office. Her family, belonging to the Santhal tribe, struggled with poverty. Born on 20 June 1958 in the remote village of Baidaposi in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, Draupadi completed her graduation from Ramadevi Women’s College, Bhubaneswar. She began her professional life as an honorary assistant teacher at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Centre, Rairangpur. She later served as a junior assistant in the Irrigation and Power Department of the Odisha Government from 1979 to 1983.
Draupadi began her political journey in 1997 as a councillor and Vice Chairperson of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat. In the same year, she was appointed Vice President of the BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha in Odisha. She was elected as an MLA from the Rairangpur Assembly Constituency in 2000 and served as Minister of State for Commerce and Transport and subsequently for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development in the BJD BJP coalition government under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. She was re elected from the same constituency in 2004. In recognition of her outstanding contribution, she was honoured with the Neelkantha Award as the Best MLA by the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2007. She contested the Rairangpur Assembly seat in 2009 and 2014 and the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 but was unsuccessful. In 2015, she was sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand and completed her full term. As Governor, she proved herself to be a compassionate and balanced administrator who remained accessible to the downtrodden and marginalised sections of society.
Draupadi Murmu is not a very high profile personality. She rose through the political ranks despite battling neglect, poverty and personal tragedies. She lost her husband and both her sons but, with an unwavering commitment to serve the nation and society, she never gave up. She is believed to be deeply spiritual and a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris.
In fact, Draupadi Murmu’s name was also being considered as the BJP’s likely choice for the country’s highest office in 2017. However, Ram Nath Kovind, then Governor of Bihar, was eventually chosen. There may have been several political and other factors behind the BJP’s decision to nominate her for the top constitutional post, but for the people she represents, she symbolises Nari Shakti and reinforces the message, “Yatra Naryastu Pujyante, Ramante Tatra Devata.”
Draupadi Murmu has become a role model for many reasons, not only for the public but also for political parties with different ideologies. She received support not only from the NDA but also from several opposition parties despite political differences. Apart from regional parties such as the BJD, YSRCP and AIADMK, even the BJP’s strong political opponents, including the JMM, SBSP, BSP, Shiromani Akali Dal, JD(S), TDP and several others, extended their support to her candidature. Even some MLAs from the Congress, NCP and other parties did not hesitate to cross vote in her favour. She won a landslide victory by securing 2,824 first preference votes with a value of 676,803, or 64.03 percent, while UPA candidate Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 first preference votes with a value of 380,177, or 35.97 percent.
The country welcomed its 15th President on 25 July 2022, when she took the oath of office. For the first time, a tribal Santhal woman from a humble background occupied the Rashtrapati Bhavan at Raisina Hill, symbolising India’s democratic strength, inclusive traditions and national character.
