A sweet reminder of Droupadi Murmu’s humble roots at her swearing-in

President Droupadi Murmu created history as she took the oath to the highest constitutional post of the country today. The 64-year-old is the country’s youngest and the first tribal president. The swearing-in ceremony began at 10.15 am at the Central Hall of Parliament, where Chief Justice of India NV Ramana administered the oath.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and S Jaishankar, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, members of the Council of Ministers, governors, chief ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, MPs and principal civil and military officers attended the oath ceremony.

Only the second woman to become president, Murmu added a personal touch to the ceremony. She belongs to the Santhal (also spelt as Santals) tribe, the third largest scheduled tribe community in India after the Gonds and Bhils, who are spread across Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Murmu’s home district in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj has one of the largest concentrations of the tribe. At the momentous ceremony held today, there were many a reminder of her roots.

The speech

Addressing the nation after being sworn in as the 15th President of India, Murmu said that she was honoured to take charge at a time India is completing 75 years of Independence. She added that she was the first President to be born in independent India.

Speaking in Hindi, Murmu spoke about her humble beginnings and said that her being sworn in as president is a win for India’s poor. “Reaching the post of President is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor in India.”

“It is the power of our democracy that a daughter born in a poor house, a daughter born in a remote tribal area, can reach the highest constitutional post of India," she added. "It is satisfying to me that the people who were devoid of development for years -- the poor, Dalits, backward and the tribals -- can see me as their reflection. My nomination has blessings of the poor behind it, it's a reflection of the dreams and capabilities of crores of women.”

Murmu spoke about the contributions of India’s tribes in the freedom struggle. “From the Santhal revolution, Paika revolution to Kol revolution and Bhil revolution, the contribution of tribals strengthened India’s freedom struggle. We were inspired by the sacrifice of “Dharti Aaba” Lord Birsa Munda ji for social upliftment and patriotism,” she said.

The Jhal saree

Murmu’s sister-in-law Sukri Tudu carried for her a special Santhali saree. The Jhal saree as it is called is designed with motifs of birds, fishes, flowers, leaves and animals, reports The Hindustan Times.

The Santhali women wear these handwoven sarees on special occasions.

“I am carrying a Santali traditional saree for Didi (elder sister).... I am not sure what she will actually wear on the occasion. The Rashtrapati Bhawan will decide the dress of the new president,” Sukri told news agency PTI on the eve of the ceremony.

Murmu was seen wearing a white saree with a green and red border at the oath-taking. She visited Rajgath to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi before the event.

LIVE: President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat https://t.co/72sto2wDl3

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022

The Santhal tribe believes that there is a connection between animals and humans and hence you find images of animals in their artwork, sarees, and more. The Murmu clan that the President belongs to is represented by the Nilgai, the largest Asian antelope. It is believed that the ancestors of this clan hunted the first animals which happened to be an antelope or, they are the first animals sacrificed by the Santhals. Hence, they are of great importance to their culture, according to The Paperclip, an independent digital publication.

The sweets

Murmu’s brother Tarinisen Tudu and sister-in-law, who left to New Delhi on Saturday, also carried traditional sweetmeats for the President. Arisa pitha, a sweet pancake and Guda pitha, made from jaggery, are the Santhal leader’s favourite.

Relatives, friends, and tribal leaders

Murmu’s family were at the ceremony. Apart from her brother and sister-in-law, her daughter Itishree and son-in-law Ganesh also were present in Parliament. Some childhood friends of Murmu were also expected to attend.

Six tribal MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Mayurbhanj district and three members of the Ishwariya Prajapati Brahmakumari’s Rairangpur branch – Brahma Kumari Supriya, Brahma Kumari Basanti and Brahma Kumar Govind – witnessed the ceremony. Doing Rajyoga with the help of the Brahmakumari institutions, helped Murmu overcome some personal tragedies – the loss of two sons and her husband.

Odisha CM at the ceremony

Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik met Murmu on Sunday to congratulate her. He also attended the swearing-in.

“I am so pleased and honoured that a daughter of Odisha has been chosen as the President of India,” news agency ANI quoted Patnaik as saying.

Patnaik was accompanied by BJP MPs during Sunday’s visit. He praised Murmu for coming from a humble background to holding the top post in the country. It is “inspiring and a shining example of women empowerment,” he told the media.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.