On Vijayadashami 2026, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh turned the symbolism of Ravan Dahan into a pointed social message — invoking the festival's spirit of good triumphing over evil to call out two very modern wrongs: the black-market trade in counterfeit medicines and the overcharging of consumers beyond MRP.

Posting on Monday, 19 October, Singh wrote in Hindi: 'Vijayadashami ka parv hamein har us burai ke ant ka sankalp lene ki prerana deta hai, jo samaj aur janhit ko nuksan pahunchati hai' — 'The festival of Vijayadashami inspires us to resolve to end every evil that harms society and the public interest.' He added that linking Ravan Dahan to the 'black trade of fake medicines and the malpractice of charging more than MRP makes the resolve of good's victory over evil even more meaningful.'

Why fake medicines and MRP overcharging on Dussehra

Indian political leaders routinely weave festival messages around contemporary social concerns, but Singh's choice of targets carries weight beyond symbolism. Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a documented public-health hazard, particularly in rural and semi-urban markets where regulatory oversight is thinner. Overcharging above the Maximum Retail Price — printed on every medicine strip and consumer product by law — is a persistent complaint from ordinary buyers, especially at chemist shops and pharmacies during high-demand periods.

Both issues sit at the intersection of consumer protection and public welfare, arenas that generate recurring enforcement drives by health and consumer affairs authorities. Singh's message, though ceremonial in framing, echoes those regulatory priorities and signals that the festival season can itself serve as a platform for civic awareness.

A Textiles Minister speaking beyond his portfolio

Singh holds the Textiles Ministry and represents Begusarai, Bihar in the Lok Sabha — neither portfolio directly governs pharmaceuticals or consumer pricing. Yet as a senior BJP leader, his public communications routinely extend to broader national concerns. The Dussehra post follows a well-worn template in Indian political communication: the festival as a moral mirror held up to social ills. What gives it a sharper edge is the specificity — not 'corruption' or 'crime' in the abstract, but the medicine rack at the neighbourhood chemist and the printed price on the box.

As Ravan effigies burn across the country today, Singh's message is a reminder that the oldest Indian narrative — good defeating evil — still finds new villains every year. The question enforcement agencies will have to answer is whether the symbolism translates into action.