Issued on: 25/07/2022 – 09:02
Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as President of India on Monday, making her the first person from one of the country’s marginalized tribal communities to serve as head of state.
The former schoolteacher and state governor was elected to the largely ceremonial post last week with 64 percent of the vote by members of India’s parliament and state assemblies.
Murmu, who is of the Santhal tribe and was born in the eastern state of Odisha, paid her respects before her inauguration at a memorial dedicated to Indiaindependence hero Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi.
“I started my life journey from a small tribal village,” said Murmu, 64, after taking the oath of office in parliament.
“From the background I come from, it was like a dream for me to even get a primary education,” she added.
“But despite many obstacles, my determination remained strong and I became the first daughter from my village to go to university.”
Murmu’s victory was considered a certainty due to the strength of the ruling Bharatiya Janata party and its allies in parliament and state assemblies.
Analysts said the move is likely to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi expand his base among poor tribal communities ahead of his re-election bid in 2024.
“Her acceptance of the presidency is a turning point for India, especially for the poor, marginalized and oppressed,” Modi said on Twitter after Murmu’s speech.
Murmu said her election would give hope to those left behind by India’s recent economic growth.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that those who have been disadvantaged for centuries, who are away from the benefits of development … see their reflection in me,” she said.
The Indian Prime Minister has the executive power, but the President can send back some parliamentary bills for reconsideration and also plays a leading role in forming governments.
Murmu is the country’s second female president after Pratibha Patil, who held the position for five years from 2007.
She succeeds Ram Nath Kovind, the second president of the Dalit community, the lower end of the Hindu caste system.
(AFP)