Ruby Kumari Thakur, a young woman from an ordinary family in Dhanusha, never imagined that she would one day reach the federal parliament. Her daily routine, which was spent within the limited scope of personal struggles, family responsibilities, and work, suddenly took a turn about a month ago when she met Hark Sampang Rai, the president of the Shram Sankriti Party. The meeting not only made her a supporter of Rai, but also made her an active politician and a member of the federal parliament. Today, she is known as the youngest member of parliament in the country.

25-year-old Ruby Kumari's political journey did not start from a traditional political family. Her journey began from a small village in Thakur Basti in Majheliya, Dhanusha district. Up until this age, her life had never been easy. Her family, which had been earning a living by working in the village, was facing social discrimination. On top of that, she also had the responsibility of ensuring that her 4 sisters and 2 brothers completed their studies. A large family, limited income, and the responsibility of meeting daily needs taught her to be tough from childhood.

Ruby's father, Sograth Thakur, is currently in Saudi Arabia for employment. Mother, Renu Thakur, is a housewife. She has been farming on two bighas of land. Her family's source of income is the money her father sends from abroad and her earnings.

She passed SEE from a local school in 2074 BS. She then completed a 3-year diploma (engineering) from Balara Polytechnic in Dhanusha. After completing her studies, she started working at Vastu Architecture Consultancy. She worked there until she became an MP. For about 7 months, she did technical work like mapping, 2D and 3D design. Where she earned around 20 thousand per month.

She says, ‘All my siblings are studying, so I would save a little and give the rest to my family.’ Her thinking was not limited to her personal career. The discrimination she was facing in society had deeply embedded in her the desire to do something for the society.

From accidental entry into politics to parliament

Her entry into politics was not planned. She was closely following Hark Sampang’s activities through social media. She saw a different image of a ‘working leader’ in Sampang. When Hark Sampang reached Dhanusha during the election campaign, she went to meet Sampang for the first time. In the first meeting, she found Sampang’s speech different from other leaders. Her clear vision, commitment to work and hard work impressed her.

She says, ‘I had seen his works on social media. After listening to him, I felt that something could be done. After this, she actively participated in the election campaign. She interacted directly with the voters and stood as a prominent face of the campaign in Dhanusha-4.

Meanwhile, the party decided to recommend her as a proportional MP from the Madhesi Janajati cluster. This news was unexpected for her. She says, “I am a normal person, I had also imagined becoming an MP.” With the party’s decision to make her an MP from the Madhesi cluster, she has become the youngest MP in the country.

She has started prioritizing various issues in parliament. She has especially included issues like dowry and child marriage in the agenda.

She says, “Although the dowry system is prohibited by law, it still persists in practice. Women are suffering from this. Child marriage has not stopped completely. I will raise these issues in Parliament. Her priority is also focused on social justice and women's empowerment.

Thinking of combining education and politics

Ruby Kumari Thakur now wants to continue her studies. She says that she aims to do a Bachelor's (BE). She plans to pursue education and politics together. Ruby, who became an MP at the age of 25, is single. Regarding her personal life, she says, "I will give 5 years to Parliament, only after that I will think about marriage."