India's first tribal president

Tribal president stands above politics - 5th September 2022

Taking her oath of office, India’s new president Droupadi Murmu made history on 25th July, becoming the nation’s first leader from an indigenious tribe. Following her inauguration, President Murmu commented that “It is a tribute to the power of our democracy that a daughter born in a poor house in a remote tribal area can reach the highest constitutional position in India.” 

Having spent her childhood in a rural tribal area in eastern India, Murmu defied convention to become the first woman from her village to graduate from university. After graduation, she held a job as a clerical assistant in the Odisha state government. Murmu later took to teaching Hindi, Odia, Maths and Geography at a secondary school for three years, refusing to take a salary, before winning a council seat in 1997 and entering politics.

As the second woman elected president and the first born into the independent India following the end of colonial rule, Murmu’s presidency marks a watershed. While a largely constitutional position, Murmu’s election to the presidency gives representation to marginalised groups and shifts the government towards becoming more inclusive. It’s hoped that she’ll see a greater diversity of voices given consideration. 

Although head of state, constitutionally the president must act on the advice of their prime minister, something like the monarchs of Europe, whose cultural significance outweighs their constitutional power. “That I attained the post of President is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor person in India,” Murmu said. Such sentiment offers those who continue to face poverty while India’s economy flourishes a glimmer of hope.

Murmu, who’ll serve a five year term following her election by parliament, received significant backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some pundits claim this was a calculated political move. It could have been orchestrated to secure greater BJP support among tribal communities, which constitute 8 percent of the nation’s population.

In her inaugural address, Murmu emphasised sustainability as the route to a prosperous future for India. She counselled that “I was born in that tribal tradition which has lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years.”