Reality behind the ascent of a tribal woman as the First Citizen

The Uparbeda village of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha rejoices as its daughter records a landmark victory in the Presidential Election against Congress veteran Yashwant Sinha. Droupadi Murmu, the former Governor of Jharkhand, was sworn in as the 15th President of India on 25th July 2022. Smt. Droupadi Murmu is the first tribal and the only President born after Independence, making her the youngest person to hold the Presidential Office. Smt. Murmu has had a long-standing and successful political career. Being an Adivasi, she is privy to the marginalization that her community has faced for years at the hands of the dominant communities. Her ascent to the Presidential Office is a remarkable feat. However, one cannot help but wonder if this is just another gimmick or if this shall have any actual, positive impact on the lives of the tribal population.

The emergence of a President from a tribal community is revolutionary since it shall ignite a glimmer of hope in the repressed tribal population across the country. It also sets an excellent precedent before millions of tribal women who endure the blight of both patriarchal and outsider oppression. However, History has witnessed several examples of forged exclusion through the inclusion of the marginalized. For instance, when Smt. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, held office; she was the first woman in the world to have done so. But what palpable changes did that bring in the condition of women across the globe? More recently, when Sri Ramnath Kovind became the first Dalit President of India, there should have been a remarkable reduction in the oppression and exploitation faced by 200 million Dalits across the country. Sadly, that is far from reality.

The rise of a tribal President might not have a long-term impact on the current socio-economic status of the tribal population of the country. Still, it shall have a positive influence on their psyche. To bring about long-term reforms, it is imperative to include tribals in mainstream Indian life while keeping their original identity intact. There are about 240 million tribals in India, and most of them inhabit remote regions of the country. They are cast into oblivion and do not have proper access to basic amenities. For the betterment of its tribal population, India must aim at inclusive development. The State and Central Governments must ensure adequate health and sanitation, livelihood, and educational facilities. The Government must take stringent actions against individuals and private institutions that attempt to exploit their land. Lastly, we as a society must stop shunning them as ‘backward’ and accept them as our own.