A woman from India’s tribal minority, Droupadi Murmu, was elected as thecountry’s president Thursday with the backing of the ruling party, makingher the first person from the marginalised community to occupy the top post.
Murmu, who is from the Santhal tribe, secured the largely ceremonialposition with the support of more than half the electorate of MPs and statelegislators, partial results released by the election commission showed.
Murmu, 64, was nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindunationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the post.
Modi tweeted to congratulate Murmu, saying her “exemplary success motivateseach and every Indian”.
“She has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor,marginalised and the downtrodden.”
Her closest rival, the opposition-backed Yashwant Sinha – an ex-member ofthe BJP and former finance and external affairs minister, also tweeted hiscongratulations.
“India hopes that as the 15th President of the Republic she functions asthe custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour,” Sinha wrote.
Murmu will be the country’s second woman president after Pratibha Patil,who held the position for five years from 2007, and succeeds Ram NathKovind, the second president from the Dalit community, the bottom of theHindu caste system.
Born in Mayurbhanj district in the eastern state of Odisha, thepresident-elect began her career as a schoolteacher before joining politics.
She has held ministerial positions in the state government, and beengovernor of the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.
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“As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, I had not thought aboutbecoming the candidate for the top post,” she told reporters soon after hernomination this month.
Murmu’s win was considered a certainty because of the strength of theruling BJP and its allies in the parliament and state assemblies.
But the post is largely ceremonial and her election is not expected to makesignificant practical difference to the tribal community, which has longbeen relegated to the margins of society.
“We’ve been on the road fighting for tribal rights since the 90s,” activistDayamani Barla told AFP.
“Whatever agenda the BJP… has to place a politician from a tribal communityin the post of the President, she will only be able to do anything if sheis allowed to use her pen.”
The prime minister and the cabinet wield executive powers in India,although the head of state can send back a few parliamentary bills forreconsideration and also helps in the process of forming governments.
“Sitting on the seat is not as big a deal as much as it is having the powerto actually use your position,” said Barla.-APP/AFP
