Will Droupadi Murmu score a hit as first tribal President?

New Delhi: Droupadi Murmu, who has become the first tribal President of India, may not seem "intellectual" enough for her admirers and critics alike. But, by her unassuming nature, sincerity and integrity, her conduct could be a surprise, say those close to her.

Like her predecessor Ram Nath Kovind, she won't hunt for publicity or headlines. But she would definitely use her office to reach out to the underprivileged sections with compassion as her guidepost.

One still remembers the outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind's leadership at the height of  Covid-19 in 2020. First Lady Savita Kovind stitching face masks at Shakti Haat in the President's Estate, as part of the fight against COVID-19, was one of the enduring images of India's battle against the pandemic.

Certainly, Murmu is not a confrontationist as her critics would want but she is no pushover either. She will build excellent rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also not hesitate to express her views on issues that are dear to her.

In fact, Modi would want her to serve as a bridge for a sustained dialogue between the government and those sections that are getting more official attention than hitherto in terms of social empowerment and targeted help.

One must remember that Murmu won't let herself be restricted only to interacting with the tribal community, who make up  8.6 per cent of India's population (according to the 2011 census).

Rather, she would utilise the opportunities that would come her way to address the woes of the underprivileged people.

Murmu realises that it took almost 75 years after Independence for any political party or alliance to nominate a person from the tribal community as President.

She has said often that she can never forget her humble beginning in the small village of Uparbeda, Odisha, where she was born in a Santhal tribe family. Neither can she forget the numerous personal tragedies she has faced in her life and the solace she has found in her spiritual pursuit.

Like Kovind, Murmu nurtures no bitterness towards anyone including those who made light of her candidature. She did not speak against her opponent and joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha who was, of course, very sanctimonious right from the beginning and even after his defeat.

In popular terms, among the Presidents, Abdul Kalam earned the sobriquet of being ‘the people's President’.

As 11th President (2002 and 2007), Kalam endeared himself to the people with his inspiring ideas for the next generation for transforming India.

Murmu would like to do the same. She would prefer to travel to not easily accessible corners and interact with younger people, especially women and girls. For a start, she may like to see for herself how the most backward districts are transforming themselves as "aspirational districts." She would like to contribute by giving her suggestions and ideas to improve their lot.

She may even invite members of the underprivileged sections to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan for interactions that will serve as tools of improvement for them.

As she is very conscious of what the tribal community expects from her, she thinks it will be her duty to voice their fears and expectations. Murmu would like to act as a key interlocutor regarding their concerns.

As the Governor of Jharkhand, Murmu stopped proposed amendments to the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, 1908 and the Santhal Parganas Tenancy Act, 1949 by the then BJP government in the state. This was her response after widespread protests all over the state, particularly in the tribal areas.

She returned the bills to the Raghuvar Das government, attaching all the representations that she had received against them. Her action was hailed by the tribal community and the government also respected her views by not pushing the bill again.

Murmu also returned to the state government without her assent to the Private Placement Agency and Domestic Workers Bill, 2017, seeking revision of penal provisions.

She conveyed to the state government that the penal provision for those found guilty of immoral trafficking in the name of placements must be stringent.

Of course, the Opposition too has a lot of expectations from her since she won the Presidential polls.

Telangana IT Minister K Taraka Rama Rao expressed hope that the much-awaited Women's Reservation Bill, Tribal reservations enhancement in Telangana & RoFR amendment Bill will be cleared with the consent of the President.

Many civil rights activists want Murmu to use her office to focus on atrocities on the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and see that amendments to various acts, such as the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 do not marginalise the Adivasi community further. They want her to pay attention to issues like the loss of access and command over forests and community resources, enforced eviction due to development projects and lack of appropriate rehabilitation and indebtedness.

At 64, Murmu will be the youngest-ever President. She has a lot of energy and dynamism in her to accomplish the goals she has in mind. Till date, the record was held by sixth President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1977-1982), who also took office at 64 but he was older compared to her by a couple of months.

Among many little-known facts about her, Murmu has donated blood over 100 times and planted 1,000 saplings in different places, displaying her eco-friendly approach. Once she settles down in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Murmu is bound to strive to leave a record that may even outshine that of her predecessors.