Spiritualism has been Droupadi Murmu’s ally in life’s arduous journey

RAIRANGPUR/RANCHI: Of all the qualities of head and heart that paved the path for Droupadi Murmu’s ascent to the country’s highest office, spirituality has been her closest ally, strengthening her fortitude in the face of back-to-back personal tragedies.
The President-elect found her spiritual moorings in the Brahma Kumaris, a school of thought that apparently shone a light on her as she battled the trauma of losing her two sons and husband in the span of a few years.
Brahma Kumari Supriya, counted among those who helped Murmu deal with the grief of losing one of her two sons in 2009 and the second four years later, said it was only after her nomination as the NDA’s presidential candidate that most people came to know what she had to overcome in her personal life over the years.

“We know her from the time she entered public life. After her eldest son Laxman passed away, she was heartbroken and came to the Brahma Kumaris looking for peace. She quit non-vegetarian food and devoted her time to meditation. This helped Murmu get her life back on track somewhat,” Supriya said.
Tragedy revisited Murmu in 2013 when her younger son Sipun died, followed by her husband Shyam Charan in 2014. “But unlike when she lost her eldest son, Murmu’s belief in the power of spirituality acted as a cushion against the kind of mental disintegration that most people would suffer in similar circumstances,” she said.

A Raj Bhavan staffer in Ranchi, where Murmu spent six years as governor of Jharkhand, recalled how she was a stickler for discipline. “Madam would unfailingly get up before dawn to perform her daily spiritual rituals, including an offering of water to the peepul tree in the complex. I used to accompany her, holding an umbrella over her when it rained,” said Christina Tirkey, who was the erstwhile governor’s personal assistant.

At Ranchi’s Raj Bhavan, staffers saw another little-known facet of Murmu — her love of cooking. “During festivals, Madam would come and guide the chef in preparing some special delicacies, few of them traditional to Odisha,” an employee said.