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Presidential election 2022: Death of sons, husband... Draupadi Murmu, India first tribal President, overcame great personal TRAGEDIES

Admin | 2022-07-22

New Delhi Former Governor of Jharkhand Draupadi Murmu scripted history to become India first tribal President. Ruling NDA Draupadi Murmu and Opposition Yashwant Sinha were pitted against each other in the contest, and in an expected outcome, Murmu grabbed the hot seat. Murmu has come a long way to reach where she is today. India new President overcame several personal tragedies in her life. In just six years between 2009-2015, Murmu lost her husband, two sons, mother and brother. According to reports, it was then the tribal leader became a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after her personal losses.

Murmu lost three near and dear ones
Murmu had three children - two sons and a daughter - with her husband Shyam Charan Murmu. According to news reports, one of her sons died under mysterious circumstances in 2009 while her second son passed away in a road accident three years later. She had lost her husband earlier because of cardiac arrest. Murmu daughter Itishree works in a bank in Odisha.

Born into a Santhal family, Murmu is an excellent orator
Born on June 20, 1958, Murmu was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. Murmu is also the first president to be born after Independence. She has been through a lot of pain and struggle, but doesn't get rattled by adversity,former Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said. Born into a Santhal family, she is an excellent orator in Santhali and Odia languages, Samal said. He added that she had worked extensively to improve infrastructure such as roads and ports in the region.

The tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj has been the focus of the BJP, which is eyeing a strong foothold in the state. The BJD snapped ties with the BJP in 2009 and has consolidated its hold over Odisha since then.

Murmu journey in public life
It is from Rairangpur that she took her first step up the BJP ladder. She was a councillor in the Rairangpur Notified Area Council in 1997 and rose to being a minister in Odisha BJD-BJP coalition government from 2000 to 2004. In 2015, she was appointed governor of Jharkhand and stayed in the post till 2021.

Murmu had contested the 2014 assembly election from Rairangpur, but lost to the BJD candidate. After completing her tenure as Jharkhand governor, Murmu devoted her time to meditation and social work in Rairangpur.I am surprised as well as delighted. As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, I had not thought about becoming the candidate for the top post, Murmu told reporters at her Rairangpur residence on Tuesday night. I was not expecting this opportunity. I have not been attending any political programmes for more than six years after becoming the governor of neighbouring Jharkhand. I hope all will support me,she said.