As the Dussehra season fills India's evening skies with the glow of torches and the sound of conch shells, BJP MP Anurag Thakur turned to Lord Ram's life as a compass for contemporary living — saluting a Ramleela staged by Sanatan Sanskaram as an 'unparalleled effort' to transmit India's civilisational values to the next generation.

In a post on X on Saturday, 17 October 2026, Thakur wrote in Hindi: 'Tyaag, tap aur sanyam se bhare Maryada Purushottam ke jeevan se hamein har paristhiti ka poore saamarthya se samna karne ki prerna milti hai' — 'The life of Maryada Purushottam, filled with sacrifice, penance and restraint, inspires us to face every situation with our full strength.' He described the Ramleela as not merely a religious occasion but 'a living message of truth, dharma, sacrifice, duty and ideal values of life.'

What Sanatan Sanskaram's Ramleela represents

Thakur's praise was directed at a production by Sanatan Sanskaram, an organisation mounting a Ramleela focused specifically on the life and philosophy of Lord Shri Ramchandra Ji Maharaj. He called it an 'unmatched attempt' (anupam prayas) to help future generations absorb the life philosophy of Maryada Purushottam — the 'upholder of righteousness' — and draw inspiration from it.

The Ramleela tradition itself is one of India's oldest living performance arts — a dramatic retelling of the Ramayana enacted across thousands of towns and villages, particularly in the weeks leading up to Dussehra, when the symbolic burning of Ravana's effigy marks good's triumph over evil. What distinguishes this staging, in Thakur's framing, is its deliberate pedagogical intent: not just spectacle, but a cultural classroom.

Ram as a template for public and private conduct

Thakur drew three specific lessons from Ram's life: maintaining maryada (dignity and propriety) even in adversity; remaining dedicated to one's duties; and building sadbhaav (harmony) and ethics in society. These are not abstract ideals — in the context of Indian public discourse, invoking them is a deliberate call to link everyday civic behaviour to a moral tradition far older than the constitution.

He closed with a direct appeal to cultural continuity: 'Such religious and cultural events keep our glorious traditions alive and connect the new generation to Indian culture and values.' The post was accompanied by four images from the event and signed off with Jai Shri Ram 🚩🙏.

For the Hamirpur MP, who has long used his platforms to amplify cultural and heritage messaging, the Ramleela post sits within a well-established pattern: bridging religious tradition and national identity in the festive window between Navratri and Diwali — when the audience for such messaging is at its annual peak. Whether it reads as cultural revival or political signalling, the stage is set and the message is unmistakable.