Murmu’s march

THE nomination of Droupadi Murmu as the ruling NDA’s presidential candidate is a path-breaking moment in the history of post-Independence India. That this decision comes amid the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to mark 75 years of the nation’s independence makes it all the more special. If she wins the July 18 poll, Murmu will become the first person from the tribal (Adivasi) community, the first native of Odisha and the second woman ever (after Pratibha Patil) to occupy the top post. The confidence reposed in her by the BJP-led NDA was summed up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet: ‘Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Droupadi Murmu.’ She is set to follow in the footsteps of KR Narayanan and Ram Nath Kovind, who both rose from the poor, marginalised and downtrodden stratum of society to become the President.

Though India has more than 700 Scheduled Tribes that account for over 8 per cent of the total population, the tribal people have remained hardly a footnote in the country’s growth story. The implementation of laws such as the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act has left a lot to be desired. The tribal populace’s prolonged neglect is being addressed, albeit, symbolically with the elevation of Murmu, who has risen through the ranks with remarkable tenacity.

Murmu has donned several hats over the decades — government employee, schoolteacher, councillor, MLA, minister, Governor. One tragedy after another — the loss of her husband and two sons — has failed to impede her gritty journey. Her down-to-earth personality was plainly visible in the video clip that went viral on Wednesday, showing her sweeping the floor at a Shiv temple in Rairangpur in her home district Mayurbhanj. If elected, which appears imminent, her presidency is expected to be a much-needed shot in the arm for tribal and women’s empowerment.