Haryana at 60: President Murmu hails women's progress at Kurukshetra Diamond Jubilee

President Droupadi Murmu was the chief guest at Haryana's 60th statehood celebrations, the Hirak Jayanti or Diamond Jubilee, in Kurukshetra on Sunday, November 1, 2026, where she praised the state's progress on women's empowerment and called for continued efforts to improve its sex ratio. She said Haryana had made significant progress on several dimensions of women's empowerment and had registered an improvement in its sex ratio over the past decade, and she singled out the state's sportswomen for bringing India international recognition. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini welcomed her on behalf of the state's nearly 2.75 crore residents. During the visit the President also went to the Bhadrakali temple and attended the centenary of Swami Shraddhanand's martyrdom at the Gurukul in Kurukshetra.

Sixty years is a milestone for any state. Haryana's celebrations chose Kurukshetra, a place linked in tradition with the Bhagavad Gita, and the President's speech drew on that heritage, recalling the land's association with Bhagwan Krishna's message of selfless action. The choice of venue tied a modern state's anniversary to some of the oldest stories in Indian culture.

The President's focus on women was pointed. The sex ratio, the number of girls and women for every thousand boys and men, has long been a closely watched measure in Haryana. By acknowledging the improvement of the past decade while urging the state to keep working towards parity, she recognised progress without suggesting the job is done.

Her praise for Haryana's sportswomen connects the two themes. Women athletes from the state have brought international recognition to India, as the President noted. The Chief Minister's figures, 11 Commonwealth Games medals and 32 Asian Games medals for the state's athletes, underline how central sport has become to Haryana's identity.

The story of the 12-year-old girl who saved two paise a day for the freedom struggle was a reminder that the region's contribution to the nation did not begin in 1966, when the state was formed.

Short-term: The Diamond Jubilee celebrations put Haryana's achievements, and its remaining challenges such as the sex ratio, in the national spotlight, with the President's message likely to feed into state programmes on girls and women.

Long-term: The anniversary offers a moment to take stock of six decades of development, from farming and industry to sport, and to set goals for the next phase, including the push towards sex ratio parity the President called for.

Who is affected: The people of Haryana, especially women and girls; the state's athletes and armed forces families; and the Haryana government, which will be judged against the goals set out on its 60th anniversary.

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