President Murmu visits birthplace, says it's not village but family

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday turned emotional while visiting her birthplace Uparbeda village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and said she has never felt the village as a place but a family.

Murmu, who was born in a Santali family of Uparbeda village under Bamanghati sub-division on June 20, 1958, for the first time came to her village and her ancestral house after assuming the country’s topmost Constitutional post. She assumed office of the President of India on July 25, 2022.

As soon as Murmu reached the village, she rushed to Uparbeda Government Upper Primary School, her alma mater, where she spent her early years as a student. The school and the entire village were decorated to welcome her. She was received by teachers, students and villagers.

While interacting with the students, Murmu said: “I am 66 years old and do not feel like growing up. Still, I feel like a child at my school and village. I recall how teachers were teaching us in mud-walled classrooms here.” Murmu also said that the teachers and villagers treat her like a family member and not someone outsider.

“I still recall the days when I was preparing for the class-7 scholarship examination. Our teacher Madan Mohan Sir, took me to his family and I lived with his children while preparing for the examination. The love and affection that I have received from this village and school is heavenly,” she said. Murmu also recalled teachers like Basant Sir and Biswembar Babu and some others who had witnessed her childhood.

At a function, the President felicitated her teachers – Bisheswar Mohanta, Headmaster of her school, Basudev Behere, her class teacher and Basanta Kumar Giri, her class teacher in class 4 and 5. She gifted school bag containing chocolates and tiffin box to about 200 students of the Uperbeda Upper Primary School.

In her speech, Murmu said told the students to study sincerely and abide by the advice of teachers, parents and elderly persons in the village.

Ahead of Murmu’s visit, the entire village was decorated. Odisha’s Forest and Environment minister Ganesh Ramsingh Khuntia supervised the preparations at the village. “The President is visiting her birthplace for the first time since assuming the highest office. The entire area is thrilled and proud to see her,” said Khuntia.

Apart from neatly cleaning the village and decorating their houses with new paint, the villagers also performed their traditional tribal dance to welcome Murmu. The villager roads were decorated with ‘jhooti (Rangoli) to welcome her. Her relatives have also baked different types of cakes, including ‘arisa’ and ‘manda pitha’, and rice and saga delicacy.

A total of 40 platoons of police force have been deployed for the president’s visit to Uparbeda and Rairangpur area. After her programme at the village, the President is scheduled to interact with students and teachers of Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Rairangpur.