CM Dhami attends Dussehra at Hindu National School, Dehradun
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Evil, no matter how powerful, always falls — and on the night of Vijayadashami, Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami carried that ancient message to the lawns of Hindu National School, Dehradun, addressing a gathered public at the institution's Dussehra Mahotsav and Ravan Dahan programme.
Speaking to the crowd, CM Dhami conveyed his heartfelt greetings for the festival, saying that Vijayadashami reminds us that 'ahankaar, anyaay aur adharma' — arrogance, injustice, and unrighteousness — however powerful they may be, ultimately yield to truth, dharma, and righteousness.
Ravan Dahan as inner resolve, not just ritual
Dhami went beyond the ceremonial in his address, framing the burning of Ravana's effigy as a personal and moral act. 'Ravan Dahan is not merely a tradition,' he said, 'but a resolve to shed arrogance, anger, greed, and negativity from within, and to embrace truth, dignity, and harmony in life.'
The message tracks a familiar register for BJP leaders at festival gatherings — anchoring the mythological event's symbolism to values of satya (truth) and maryada (decorum). But delivered at a school campus, with families and children in attendance, the framing carried an explicitly educational undertone.
Dehradun's Dussehra and Uttarakhand's cultural calendar
Hindu National School, located in Uttarakhand's capital, served as the venue for what is one of the most widely observed evenings in the Hindu calendar. Vijayadashami — marking the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king Ravana — is celebrated across the subcontinent with Ravan Dahan events that draw large community gatherings.
In Uttarakhand, a state with a pronounced Hindu cultural identity, the festival holds particular resonance. Chief ministers of the state routinely participate in such events, and Dhami has made public attendance at religious and cultural gatherings a consistent feature of his tenure. With Diwali less than three weeks away, the state's festive season is now in full momentum.