Celebrations as Pratibha Patil is India's first female president

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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1. Wide of President-elected Pratibha Patil waving and flashing victory sign 2. Mid of Patil flashing victory sign 3. Media 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Pratibha Patil, President-elected of India: "I am grateful to the people of India and the men and women of India and this is a victory of the principles which our Indian people uphold. Once again I thank everyone of you, thank you." 5. Media 6. Close of Patil flashing victory sign 7. Wide of Prime Minister's car arriving at Patil's residence 8. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh coming out of car and flashing victory sign 9. Wide of Home Minister Shivraj Patil (in dark suit) arriving 10. Wide of Patil, Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi coming out of Patil's residence 11. Wide of ministers flanking them 12. Wide of Patil, Singh and Sonia Gandhi waving; greeting each other 13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India: "The victory of Shrimati (Mrs) Pratibha Patil for the august office of the President is a victory of those forces which seek to unite all our people. This election is a vote against the politics of divisiveness, the politics which seeks to divide our people and is a vote in favour of unity and strengthening the foundations of our secular republic." 14. Media 15. SOUNDBITE: (Hindi) Sonia Gandhi, Congress Party President: "It is a matter of great happiness that for the first time since Independence, a woman has become the President of India and I would like to thank everybody concerned." 16. Wide of women members of the Congress Party dancing to drumbeats 17. Wide of women sitting with Congress flag 18. Mid of women supporters dancing 19. Wide of women sitting and clapping 20. Wide of a woman holding poster saying 'A hearty thank you to Sonia Gandhi for making Pratibha Patil the first woman president of India' 21. Back shot of two policewomen with women standing in the background 22. Wide of supporters treating each other to sweets 23. Wide of President house STORYLINE India got its first female president on Saturday in a victory hailed as a special moment in a country where discrimination against women is often deep-rooted and widespread. Pratibha Patil, 72, won almost two-thirds of the votes cast by national lawmakers and state legislators. She had the support of the governing Congress party and its political allies, and had been widely expected to win. The election of a woman to the largely ceremonial post continues an Indian tradition using the presidency to give a high-profile voice to disadvantaged communities. "This is a victory of the principles of which our Indian people uphold," she said in a brief statement to reporters, flashing the victory sign to her supporters. While India has had several women in positions of power, most notably Indira Gandhi, who was elected to the more powerful position of prime minister in 1966, and her daughter-in-law, Sonia Gandhi, women still face rampant discrimination. Many Indian families regard daughters as a liability due to a tradition requiring a bride's family to pay a groom's family a large dowry of cash and gifts. As a consequence their education is often neglected, and many don't get adequate medical treatment when ill. International groups estimate that some 10 million female foetuses have been aborted in the country over the last two decades. "It is a matter of great happiness that for the first time since Independence, a woman has become the President of India and I would like to thank everybody concerned," said Sonia Ghandi. Patil defeated incumbent Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the candidate of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, in a race dogged by unprecedented mudslinging. save themselves from 16th century Muslim invaders. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/49fd608548bc773cb6dcbd93259ae32b Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork