At Chandigarh's Sant Kabir Kutir on Monday, October 26, 2026, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini addressed a state-level function for Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti — and turned a cultural observance into a pointed statement on social justice, linking the sage's philosophy to the government's ongoing work on Scheduled Caste reservation sub-categorisation.

Saini opened with reverence: 'Bhagwan Maharshi Valmiki ji ke anuyayiyon ke charan Chandigarh sthit Sant Kabir Kutir mein pade hain, yeh param saubhagya ki baat hai' — 'It is a matter of great fortune that the followers of Lord Maharshi Valmiki have graced Sant Kabir Kutir in Chandigarh.' He thanked all attendees and described the gathering as a moment of collective honour for the Valmiki community.

Ramayana as 'constitution of human society'

The Chief Minister framed Maharshi Valmiki's legacy in terms far wider than religion. The Ramayana, he argued, gave humanity a code of dignity, compassion, and freedom from the divisions of caste, varna, and class. 'The Ramayana is not merely a religious text,' Saini said, 'but is like the constitution of human society.' It is a striking equivalence — placing an ancient epic alongside a modern founding document as a shared moral framework.

That framing matters because Valmiki Jayanti is not simply a devotional occasion. For large sections of the Scheduled Castes — particularly communities who trace their lineage and identity to the sage's tradition — it is also a moment of political visibility. Saini's appearance at the state-level programme, and his choice of language, reflected that dual register.

Sub-categorisation of SC Reservations: the policy hook

The sharpest policy signal came toward the end of his remarks. Saini stated that, in recognition of the Valmiki community's contribution to nation-building, the government has carried out sub-categorisation of reservations within Scheduled Castes and constituted commissions for the protection of their welfare and rights.

This is a direct reference to the constitutional and judicial ground that shifted after the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling, which permitted states to sub-classify Scheduled Caste reservations to direct benefits more precisely toward the most disadvantaged sub-groups within the broader SC category. Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution have long enabled reservation, but the question of whether states could further stratify those reservations had remained contested for decades. The 2024 judgment settled it — and Haryana's government has cited the ruling as a basis for action.

The specific names, scope, and rollout timelines of the commissions Saini referenced have not been independently confirmed, and the precise contours of Haryana's sub-categorisation framework remain to be detailed in official notifications. Still, the political signal is clear: the government wants the Valmiki community to see welfare reform and reservation restructuring as a concrete outcome of its tenure.

A pattern, not a one-off

BJP-led state governments have consistently woven Valmiki Jayanti events into their political calendar — using the occasion to simultaneously honour a community's cultural identity and restate commitments on affirmative action. For Saini, who represents a party that has made Scheduled Caste outreach central to its Haryana strategy, the Sant Kabir Kutir event fits a well-established playbook: religious-cultural symbolism reinforced by a specific policy pledge.

What keeps this beyond routine ceremony is the sub-categorisation angle — a live, consequential policy question with real implications for how benefits flow inside the SC reservation umbrella. Watch for follow-up statements in the Haryana Assembly and official gazette notifications that flesh out exactly which communities gain, and by how much.

The sage composed an epic about dignity across divides. More than two millennia later, governments are still trying to translate that aspiration into policy line-items — and being judged on whether the translation holds.