Irresistible Rise of Draupadi Murmu Who Makes History

“A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

There has been ample evidence of women being viewed as less valuable than men ever since the dawn of civilisation. Almost all nations, regardless of how progressive, have a history of mistreating women. As a result, women ultimately began to reflect on their place in society, and some even became rebellious to achieve the position they do now. A woman has the right to live with dignity and independence. Additionally essential to furthering development and eradicating poverty is the empowerment of women. Women who are empowered increase the prospects for the future generation as well as the health and productivity of their entire families and communities.

With a colourful victory, Draupadi Murmu emerged from the confines of patriarchal society. The former Governor of Jharkhand, Draupadi Murmu is the second female and first tribal woman to become the President of India. The Bhartiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance coalition government is currently on cloud nine as Draupadi Murmu proved the mettle of her hard work. After Pratibha Patil, who was the first female President of India, Draupadi Murmu created history and inspired the entire tribal community with her political success. However, although everyone is talking about the 15th President of India, not everyone seems to be aware of her journey till now.

Draupadi Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, into a Santali tribal family in the hamlet of Uparbeda in the Odisha district of Mayurbhanj. Due to the fact that her father and grandparents served as sarpanches under the Panchayat Raj, Draupadi came from a prominent family. Draupadi Murmu’s journey from a small hamlet in Odisha to becoming India’s second female president is simply remarkable, despite the fact that she was born into a tribal household and without adequate means.

The Governor of Jharkhand, Ms. Draupadi Murmu calls on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on May 22, 2015.

Draupadi Murmu was a student of Ramadevi Women’s University. She finished her degree, started teaching right away, and then went into politics. Draupadi Murmu was always a diligent and capable pupil. That is one of the reasons she chose to pursue a career in teaching after earning her degree.

Additionally, Murmu has had a position as an assistant professor at Rairangpur’s renowned Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Institute. Draupadi Murmu joined the Odisha government’s irrigation department after serving as an assistant professor for a while. She learned about the government sector’s operations for the first time at that point in her life.

After the NDA announced its presidential candidate, the entire nation was in disbelief. The coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party chose Draupadi Murmu as their candidate for president.

The opposition had chosen Yashwant Sinha as their candidate for the 2022 presidential election, while the NDA made a very astute political choice by nominating Draupadi Murmu.

Draupadi Murmu served as the governor of Jharkhand and as the Odisha cabinet minister. In 1997, Mrs. Murmu began her political career with the BJP and served as a councillor in Rairangpur. She has also served as the BJP’s Odisha unit’s Scheduled Tribe Morcha president. Prior to being twice elected on a BJP ticket to the Odisha state legislative assembly, she served as a cabinet minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government led by Naveen Patnaik from 2002 to 2004, during which time she was honoured with the Best Legislative Member Award.

Although she continued to experience struggle and disaster in her personal life, she rose to the top of public life and set illustrious records in both politics and social services. She lost her husband and two sons, yet she never wavered in her resolve. Draupadi Murmu is joined in her family by her son-in-law, Ganesh Hembram, a rugby player, and her only daughter, Itishree Murmu, who works for a bank. The likelihood of Murmu winning the 2022 presidential elections was unquestionably higher. She had a good case against Yashwant Sinha, a former Union Minister who was chosen by the opposition. Her preference in the polls were also increased by her tribal heritage.

Ram Nath Kovind was earlier chosen by the NDA in 2017 for their nomination, and the nomination fits their narrative. He was a farmer’s son and belonged to a similar little town. He was elected as India’s second Dalit president.

The famous Nilkantha Award for the finest MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) was given to Draupadi Murmu in 2007 by the Odisha Legislative Assembly. It was a source of great pride for the tribal politician; in fact, her grassroots efforts were sufficient to persuade everyone that she was the legitimate contender for the position of President of India.

She is the first member of a tribe to hold the nation’s top position. She has a strong track record as a politician and has won numerous honours for her efforts as a legislator, minister, and governor in the past.

The Chief Justice of India, Shri Justice N.V. Ramana administering the oath of the office of the President of India to Smt. Droupadi Murmu, at a swearing-in ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament, in New Delhi on July 25, 2022.

As the first female governor of Jharkhand, the first tribal governor of a tribal state, the first governor born in Odisha, and finally the second woman president of India, Mrs. Murmu made history. An interesting case study of democratic empowerment in India is President Murmu’s meteoric ascension from a tranquil village in the largely tribal Mayurbhanj district of Odisha to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The protracted and eventful political journey of Draupadi Murmu is a tale of genuine amazement, tenacity, and inspiration.

Odisha has good reason to celebrate the occasion. The fact that a member of the tribal community, which makes up 22.5% of the state’s population, has been given the honour of becoming President of the Republic, makes the populace even happier. The state’s common people believe that the daughter of Odisha will quicken the rate of development in tribal areas, notably in the fields of rail connectivity, air and road connectivity, and infrastructure for health and education.

Political analysts believe that the event would benefit the party in charge in the centre and win it the support of the nation’s tribal population. The party is projected to gain ground in numerous Biju Janata Dal strongholds in Odisha, in particular.

Based on the regional distribution of her support, it is expected that the new Rasthrapati Bhawan occupant will prove to be a true People’s President and speed up the nation’s process of empowering women.