At Jaipur's Adarsh Nagar on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma turned a Vijayadashami celebration into a call to arms against addiction — framing the nation's drug menace as a 'Ravana of our times' that must be burned to the ground, just as the demon king is every year on Dussehra.

Addressing the Vijayadashami Mahotsav-2026 in Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, CM Sharma declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already launched a campaign against this social evil, and that a 100-week programme was underway across the country with a single, repeated purpose: 'Nashe ko door kiya jaye, nashe ko samaapt kiya jaye, nashe ko bhagaya jaye' — drive out addiction, eliminate it, banish it for good.

Dussehra as the political stage for social reform

The choice of venue and occasion was deliberate. Vijayadashami — the day Ram's arrows felled Ravana — has long been used by governments and civic bodies to dramatise the defeat of societal evils. CM Sharma's rhetorical move, equating drug addiction with Ravana, fits a pattern visible across state governments: anchoring national welfare campaigns to cultural festivals to maximise emotional resonance and public reach.

Rajasthan's alignment with New Delhi's anti-drug messaging also reinforces the political continuity between the BJP-led state government and the central government, projecting a unified front on what both frame as a moral and public-health emergency.

The national campaign behind the 100-week reference

The CM's remarks point to the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan — the Central government's flagship anti-drug awareness drive, launched in August 2020 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The campaign was initially rolled out across 272 districts identified as particularly vulnerable to substance abuse, targeting youth, college campuses, and border communities through awareness events, rehabilitation linkages, and community outreach.

The specific 100-week programme cited by CM Sharma in the post has not been independently confirmed in public records; the precise timeline and structure of this phase remain to be detailed by authorities in Rajasthan's districts.

What this means for Rajasthan's youth and families

Drug abuse has emerged as one of the most politically charged welfare issues across North and West India, with families in both urban neighbourhoods and rural areas repeatedly citing addiction as a primary source of domestic distress and economic drain. By placing the issue at the centre of a high-visibility festival address, CM Sharma signals that the state intends to keep anti-addiction outreach visible — not confined to government circulars.

The real test will come in execution: how the 100-week programme is rolled out across Rajasthan's 50 districts, what rehabilitation infrastructure backs the awareness messaging, and whether participation metrics are made public.

On the day Ravana's effigy burns, the CM has named a new demon. Now the state must show it has the arrows to bring it down.