When you think about India’s leadership, one man comes to mind: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But India’s President is, in fact, a woman, Droupadi Murmu.
Indian politics are sharply divided and quite loud sometimes. But if there’s one voice that cuts across that political spectrum and is liked on all sides, it is that of India’s soft-spoken president, Murmu.
Murmu: India’s 15 president
When this lady took oath as India’s 15th president in July 2022, most Indians had never heard of her. But Murmu had broken several glass ceilings to reach the country’s highest office.
She is only the second woman President of India. The first was Pratibha Patil in 2007. At 65, Murmu is India’s youngest president ever.
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India’s heads of state are chosen by an electoral college comprised of members of both houses of parliament and the legislatures of its 36 states, some ruled directly by the central government in New Delhi.
And though the office is ceremonial, the chosen person is almost always a political appointee of the ruling party’s choice.
Many of India’s presidents were lawyers, judges, and diplomats. There was even an aerospace scientist.
Humble beginnings
But Murmu’s background is humble -before she entered politics, she worked as a clerk and was also a school teacher.
In fact, her presidency is a matter of great pride for the Santhals, who still lag behind the rest of India in many development indicators.
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So when Murmu is in her home state of Odisha and speaks Santhali, one of India’s several hundred tribal dialects, it never fails to delight the crowds.
She’s had her share of personal tragedy. Between 2009 and 2014, President Murmu lost two young sons and her husband.
But she hasn’t dwelt on grief. Instead, she’s always busy inaugurating developmental projects, launching youth initiatives and inspiring young Indians from similarly modest backgrounds.
In June 2023, President Murmu travelled to Serbia and Suriname on her very first state visit. She received her first international honour in Paramaribo: Suriname’s highest Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star.
