Peaks and lows

Santhals have many achievers among them, but most in the tribe have a long way to go

- POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL

AS SHE HEARD Droupadi Murmu's candidacy being announced, 29-year-old Purnima Hembram jumped with joy. The heptathlon athlete, who has won medals in Asian Games, hails from the same place and community as Murmu. "Murmu's success is symbolic of the Santhals' biting desperation to grow. The thirst to get out of our wretchedness and claim our rightful position in society drives us more than anything else," says Hembram over the phone from Patiala, where she is training for the next Asian Games.

Hembram is the first woman from her community in the village of Asana in Mayurbhanj to make it big in international athletics. "There was a time when this was unthinkable. Our identity was our biggest obstacle. But today, it is our strength. Of course, reservation has given us an edge, but more importantly, it is the awareness that we are no less intelligent and able, that has helped us. We want to put our stamp on every field now," says Hembram.

Hembram married a footballer, Arjun Tudu, also a Santhal. The couple hold government jobs and make more than a lakh rupees a month, something which she says was "beyond the family's wildest imagination”.

The Santhals, the largest chunk among India's tribal population, have been making strides in various walks of life. Those who have made it attribute their success to an innate desire to break free from the chain of poverty and discrimination, and to Christian missionaries’ support and to serendipity.