My achievement is the success of all the poor in the country, says India’s 1st tribal Prez in her swearing-in address
Breaking several glass ceilings, Droupadi Murmu on Monday took oath as the 15th President of India at the Central Hall of Parliament. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana administered the oath of office to Murmu in Hindi.
The first tribal and the youngest, 64, to hold the highest Constitutional post, Murmu stepped into the historic Rashrapati Bhawan on a balmy day followed by a spectacular ceremony which included President’s guards escorting her motorcade to and from the Raisina hills.
“This is not only my achievement. It is the achievement of all the poor in the country. The poor can dare to dream now,” said Murmu in her first address to a packed Central Hall which reverberated with thumping of desks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Cabinet colleagues, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, and the members of the two Houses of Parliament.
The first woman President, Pratibha Patil, and former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi too attended the swearing-in ceremony. “Your faith in me has given me strength. I have got this responsibility at such an important time as it is India’s 75th year of Independence. I am also the first President to be born after India got its Independence,” said President Murmu. “With their blessings and the support of the mothers and daughters of the country I am standing here in front of you now,” she further said flanked by outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Justice Ramana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to call Murmu’s oath-taking a “watershed moment” in India’s history.
Murmu took oath of office in the name of god to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law”.
Four members of her family , and three representatives from “Brahma Kumari” , an spiritual organisation, which is said to have given Murmu strength to tide over her personal tragedies, also attended the function.
Catapulted into the presidential spotlight, the unassuming Murmu is believed to be deeply spiritual and a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after she lost her husband, two sons, mother and brother in the just six years between 2009-2015. She is a complete vegetarian in her food habits.
Her daughter Itishree works in a bank in Odisha.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik whose party BJD backed “the daughter of the soil” was present at the function.
“It is the power of India’s democracy that a girl born in a poor tribal home could reach the top most constitutional post,” she said in her address, marking her journey from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, one of the most underdeveloped in India, to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The country’s deprived, poor, Dalits and tribals can see their reflection in her, a matter of immense satisfaction, she said and recalled her growing up years in a small tribal village where even getting primary education was like a dream.
Murmu, who was born in a Santhal family, went on to become the first person in the village to enroll for college education.
In her speech where she spoke about serving humanity as the aim of mankind , the incumbent president touched on various issues including the Government’s digital India and “vocal for local” initiatives and its handling of the Covid pandemic.
She also paid tribute to India’s freedom fighters, and said the country will have to move quickly on the twin tracks of “sabka prayas” (everyone’s effort) and “sabka kartavya” (everyone’s duty) to fulfil their expectations.
As the supreme commander of three armed forces of the country, the President extended wishes to the Indian army and all citizens of the country on the Kargil Vijay Diwas in advance.
“Tomorrow, 26th July, is also Kargil Vijay Divas. This day is a symbol of both the bravery and restraint of Indian armies. Today I extend my best wishes to the Army of the country and to all the citizens of the country on Kargil Vijay Diwas in advance”, she said amidst clapping and thumping of desks in the Central Hall.
Outgoing president Kovind and Murmu arrived in a ceremonial procession from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Parliament building.
India’s new president was given a 21-gun salute after which she signed the oath register amid thunderous applause and thumping of desks.
After the short ceremony, Murmu and Kovind were escorted out of the Central Hall amid the roll of drums and blowing of trumpets.
There was a national salute by the President’s Bodyguard at Gate No 5 of the Parliament, the new President and her predecessor left in a ceremonial procession back to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The caparisoned horses, and men in white lined the route from Parliament up Raisina Hill to the British era presidential palace as the presidential convoy made its way slowly.
Outgoing President Kovind and his family, who move to a bungalow in Lutyens Delhi, were given a formal send-off by the Prime Minister and other dignitaries as well as the Rashtrapati Bhavan staff.
Kovind shifted to his new residence at 12, Janpath. Likewise Vice-President Naidu too will move to 1, Tyagraj Marg residence after his term ends on August 10.
Murmu took her first steps in politics in Rairangpur, Odisha, where she was elected as BJP councillor in the Rairangpur Notified Area Council in 1997. She rose to being a Minister in Odisha’s BJD-BJP coalition Government from 2000 to 2004. In 2015, she was appointed Governor of Jharkhand and stayed in the post till 2021.
Murmu had contested the 2014 Assembly election from Rairangpur, but lost to the BJD candidate. After completing her tenure as Jharkhand Governor, Murmu devoted her time to meditation and social work in Rairangpur.
She was born on June 20, 1958, in Uparbeda village of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha to Birnachi NarayanTudu. Both her father and grandfather were village heads under the Panchyati Raj system.