Murmu, a Message

India has created another history when Draupadi Murmu came to the leadership of 135 crore people during the Amrutotsav of India's independence.

It took 75 years after independence for a tribal person to be elected President. With the inauguration of Draupadi Murmu as the 15th President, the caste strongholds that have always been a curse on India have been broken. Moreover, this ascension also reveals the beauty of pluralism that India, the world's largest democracy, puts forward.

Draupadi is a woman who has gone through many struggles. The Santal tribe to which she belongs also has stories of struggles to tell. The revolution led by the Santal tribe in 1856 against the taxation system and native exploitation established by the colonial administration is an event associated with the history of independence. More than fifteen thousand Santhal warriors who fought against the British army with bows and arrows were shot dead in that revolution. Draupadi Murmu from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district is the link in that chain.

The passage of time reveals that Murmu's personal and social life are both full of challenges and survival.

​​Draupadi, the eldest of three children of Uparbeda village chief Narayan Tudu of Mayurbhanj, crossed many hurdles and came to Bhubaneswar for further studies and graduated. Murmu, who was one of the first tribal women graduates of the village got a government job as a clerk, but she gave up the security of a government job and joined Aurobindo School as a teacher and chose the field of social service. Draupadi entered politics in 1997 and became an MLA from Rairangpur in 2000. She competed in 2004 and won. She also won the best MLA award in 2007. Even when she became a minister, she was brilliant in that field and set an example by implementing many welfare schemes in a timely manner. Later, when she became the Governor of Jharkhand, she proved that the post was not just a rubber stamp job. In 2016, the state government decided to scrap two decades-old land laws in Jharkhand. This demolition had an adverse effect on the tenancy rights of the Chotangpur and Santal communities. The aim of the government through this amendment was to facilitate the transfer of land for industrial purposes. 200 representatives of tribals who saw that they would lose their land and agriculture went to meet Governor Draupadi Murmu. Understanding the concerns of the tribals, Draupadi Murmu sent back the amendment without signing it. She asked the government to explain how this amendment would benefit tribals. After the incident, the tribals were not afraid of losing their land. It was the courage and opportune intervention of Draupadi Murmu, who was in the governor's chair, that prevented hundreds of tribals from ruins. Meanwhile, Draupadi Murmu had to face many tragedies in her personal life as well. The untimely death of her two young sons and the death of her husband were faced and tolerated by her with equanimity. Draupadi Murmu has reached the President's chair by leading a strong fight against social and caste discrimination and breaking those barriers.

This climb is also the fulfilment of a dream of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji's aspiration that the representatives of the very poor and marginalized should reach the highest position in the country has been realized through Murmu.

With Draupadi Murmu becoming the first lady of the country, the confidence of the economically and socially oppressed people has increased. It will make the future of the country brighter when every section is unitedly involved in nation-building. As President, she can contribute a lot in this direction. As a woman and a mother, there is no doubt that Murmu can bring about many transformations in the field of women and child welfare. Draupadi Murmu has come to power at a time when the country is facing many challenges both domestically and internationally. Let's hope that the experiences of Draupadi Murmu will lead the way in the coming days to calm the turbulent atmosphere with empathy and strengthen the relations with foreign countries.

(Writer is Chairman of World Hindu Parliament and former President of Fokana)