'Poor in India can fulfil dreams': President Droupadi Murmu addresses Parliament
Murmu was sworn in as President of India by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana. She is the second woman President of the country, first-ever tribal woman to hold the highest Constitutional post and the first President to be born in independent India.
FollowPresident-elect Droupadi Murmu took oath of office for the country's highest constitutional post on Monday. Murmu was sworn in as President of India by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana. She is the second woman President of the country, first-ever tribal woman to hold the highest Constitutional post and the first President to be born in independent India.
Following her oath, President Murmu said, "Standing in the Parliament - the symbol of expectations, aspirations and rights of all Indians - I humbly express my gratitude to all of you. Your trust and support will be a major strength for me to carry out this new responsibility." She said she belongs to the tribal society, and she has got the opportunity to become the President of India from the Ward Councilor. "This is the greatness of India, the mother of democracy," she added.
"I am the first President of the country who was born in independent India. We will have to speed up our efforts to meet the expectations that our freedom fighters had with the citizens of independent India," said President Droupadi Murmu.
Talking about her journey of becoming the President, Murmu said, "Reaching the Presidential post is not my personal achievement, it is the achievement of every poor in India. My nomination is evidence that the poor in India can not only dream but also fulfill those dreams."
She said, "Satisfying to me that the people who were devoid of development for years -the poor, Dalits, backward, 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."
Ending her speech, Murmu assured 'all the countrymen, especially the youth of India and the women of India, that while working in the position, their interests will be paramount for her'.
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The ceremony was be attended by Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Members of the Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, Members of Parliament, and principal civil and military officers of the government. Before taking the oath, Murmu paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi in Raj Ghat on Monday morning, ahead of her swearing in ceremony. She was escorted by military and other officials.
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Murmu began her political career in 1997 when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was elected as a councillor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat before becoming chairwoman of the same panchayat in 2000. She then served as the BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha's national vice president. Murmu became Jharkhand's first female governor in 2015. She was also the first woman tribal leader from Odisha to be selected as a state governor.
Droupadi Murmu became the 10th successive President of India to take the oath of office on July 25 since 1977. Rajendra Prasad, India's first President, took the oath of office on January 26, 1950, the day the country became a republic. On July 25, 1977, India's sixth president, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, took the oath of office. Since then, nine presidents have taken the oath of office on July 25th.
