In her address soon after being administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana in the Central Hall of Parliament, President Murmu said her journey from a tribal village in Odisha to the highest constitutional office of the country shows the power of democracy and underlined that this wasn’t her personal achievement but that of every poor Indian.
“I come from a poor tribal village in Odisha where getting even basic education was a dream. But in spite of the obstacles I remained steadfast and became the first person in my village to go to college,” she said.
President Murmu, who began her address with the traditional salutation Johar, said, “ I am from an ST (scheduled tribe) community and got the opportunities, from becoming a ward councillor to President. It shows the greatness of India’s democracy. It is the power of democracy that a woman born in a poor family in a remote village has reached the highest constitutional office in the country,” she said.
