India's first tribal president

First tribal president of India - 5th September 2022

President Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as President of India on 25th July - she’s the country’s first head of state from one of India’s indigenious tribes. After the ceremony, President Murmu said the event was “a tribute to the power of our democracy.” She celebrated the fact that “a daughter born in a poor house in a remote tribal area can reach the highest constitutional position in India.” 

Originally from a rural area in east India, Murmu became the first woman from her village to graduate from university. She began work as an assistant at the irrigation department of Odisha, then later taught several subjects at a secondary school for three years but refused to take a salary. She then went into politics, first being elected as a local councillor in 1997.

India’s second woman president is also the first to have been born after the country’s independence in 1947. Although the role is primarily ceremonial, Murmu’s presidency is a step towards a more inclusive government. It’s hoped that it will allow more marginalised communities’ voices to be heard. 

“That I attained the post of President is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor person in India,” Murmu said. These words may give hope to those Indians living in poverty despite the economy’s continued growth. 

The president is elected by a parliamentary vote, and the office holder serves for five years. Murmu was chosen largely through the support of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Political analysts suggest Murmu’s presidency could earn Modi more support from India’s tribal communities, which make up 8 percent of the nation’s population.

Murmu’s inaugural address centred on the importance of India becoming more sustainable. She said “I was born in that tribal tradition which has lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years.”