President Attends Swami Shraddhanand Martyrdom Centenary

President of India Droupadi Murmu attended the Balidan Shatabdi Samaroh of Swami Shraddhanand at Gurukul, Kurukshetra in Haryana on 1 November 2026. The gathering marked the 100th year of his martyrdom, and the President paid tribute to the reformer in her address.

From Munshiram to Swami Shraddhanand

The President described his path as deeply inspiring: from Munshiram to Mahatma Munshiram, and finally to Swami Shraddhanand. She said he gave his life to the service of the Vedas and to lifting up society, and that his journey and his sacrifice are a source of inspiration for everyone.

Social unity and the fight against untouchability

The President recalled that he argued strongly for social unity and delivered an address from the platform of the Jama Masjid in Delhi carrying a message of mutual goodwill and national unity. He held that removing the stigma of untouchability and raising the condition of Dalits were the steps India most needed, and in his view the practice ran against the core ideas of the Vedic tradition.

Education and the Gurukul system

He revived and strengthened the Gurukul system of education, which the President said breathed fresh life into Indian education and culture. His effort continued the cause of the ancient Aryan system of learning championed by Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of the Arya Samaj.

A message for the young

The President said the centenary year is an occasion to draw lessons from his life, his thinking on education and society, and his sacrifice. As the country moves towards the goal of a developed India by 2047, she said, citizens should take pride in India's cultural heritage while taking up modern knowledge, science, technology, innovation and enterprise. She expressed confidence that young people, drawing inspiration from his life, will help build an educated, self-reliant, harmonious and empowered India.