Uma Saren

Uma Saren
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
26 May 2014 – 23 May 2019
Preceded byPulin Bihari Baske
Succeeded byKunar Hembram
ConstituencyJhargram
Personal details
Born (1984-05-09) 9 May 1984 (age 40)
New Delhi, India
Political partyTrinamool Congress
Residence(s)Jhargram, Jhargram district
Alma materNil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital (M.B.B.S.)
ProfessionMedical Practitioner

Uma Saren (born 9 May 1984) is an Indian politician who has been a Member of Lok Sabha for Jhargram since 2014. She belongs to Trinamool Congress. A medical practitioner by profession, she is the first person to speak in the Santali language in the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Early life

Saren was born on 9 May 1984. Her father worked with the Indian Railways as a Group D staff. She received a M.B.B.S. degree from Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital in 2012. She belongs to the Santhal community.[1][2]

Political career

In 2012, Saren joined Junglemahal Bhoomiputra and Kanya Medical Association whose aim was to provide medical facilities in remote areas to the tribals in the Bengal-Jharkhand border.[3]

On 5 May 2014, Trinamool Congress party announced that Saren would contest the upcoming general election from Jhargram constituency.[4] She was pitted against Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Pulin Bihari Baske.[5] In May, she was elected to the Lok Sabha and defeated Baske by a margin of 3,50,756 votes. She became the first ever woman Santhal MP of India.[2][6] She also won with the highest margin in her state.[6] In 2014, she was the member of two standing parliamentary committees: the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers and the Consultative Committee on Ministry of Tribal Affairs.[7]

In April 2017, Saren utilised ₹16.39 crore (US$1.9 million) from her MPLADS funds to buy ceiling fans, LED lamps and water coolers for 3,000 schools in the state.[8]

On 28 May 2018, Saren became the first person to speak in the Santali language in the Inter-Parliamentary Union.[9] She spoke about the many problems faced by various tribes in India. She was also the only woman in the Indian delegation which consisted of seven members.[9][10][11]

On 12 March 2019, the party announced that they had not renominated Saren for the next general election.[12] Partymen alleged that she did not use the MPLADS funds.[13]

References

  1. ^ Seetharaman, G.; Balasubramanyam, K. R. (25 May 2014). "32 newly elected under-35 MPs & what they intend to do for their constituencies". The Economic Times. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b "If elected, Uma Soren would be the first woman Santhal MP of India". Trinamool Congress. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  3. ^ "'অচেনা' উমার টিকিট তৃণমূলে, হিসাব মেলাতে ধন্দে ঝাড়গ্রাম" (in Bengali). 8 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Trinamool Congress list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls". Zee News. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Campaigning ends for penultimate round of Lok Sabha polls 2014". India Today. 5 May 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b Das, Madhuparna (23 May 2014). "West Bengal's biggest winner put under party's leash". The Indian Express. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Uma Saren: Age, Biography, Education, Wife, Caste, Net Worth & More - Oneindia".
  8. ^ "Mamata Banerjee's man takes Amma route, doles out freebies in Maoist land". India Today. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Santhali to ring out at Inter Parliamentary Union in Geneva". Hindustan Times. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  10. ^ Mahato, Sukumar (28 May 2018). "Santhal MP brings tribal issues in Geneva focus". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  11. ^ Bhattacharya, Snignendhu (9 August 2018). "Santhali becomes India's first tribal language to get own Wikipedia edition". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Trinamul MPs who were not renominated". The Telegraph. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  13. ^ "শেষ সময়ে প্রকল্প জমা দেন উমা" [Uma submitted the project at the last moment]. Anandabazar Patrika (in Bengali). 13 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.