Mandaviya extends Dussehra greetings, hails triumph of good
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, Union Labour and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya extended heartfelt wishes to the nation, invoking the timeless message of righteousness triumphing over evil.
Posting on Tuesday, October 20, Mandaviya opened with the devotional salutation 'Siyavar Ramchandra ki jai!' — a reverent invocation of Lord Rama — before conveying his greetings for Dussehra, describing it as the sacred festival that carries 'the message of good over evil and the victory of dharma over adharma.'
The festival behind the greeting
Dussehra, also celebrated as Vijayadashami, commemorates Lord Rama's defeat of the demon king Ravana as narrated in the Ramayana. Marked each year on the tenth day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin, it is one of India's most widely observed festivals — a day when effigies of Ravana are burned across the country in a ritual affirmation that no darkness outlasts the light that confronts it.
The festival's symbolism — dharma outlasting adharma, truth enduring beyond falsehood — has resonated across Indian culture for centuries, finding expression in literature, performance, and public life alike.
A tradition of public outreach on national festivals
Senior government ministers routinely mark India's major religious and cultural observances with public messages, reflecting both personal faith and a broader tradition of civic acknowledgement. For Mandaviya, a senior BJP leader from Gujarat who holds the dual charge of Labour and Employment as well as Youth Affairs and Sports, the greeting aligns with that well-established pattern of public outreach ahead of festive seasons.
As Ravana effigies rise against the evening sky at Ramlila grounds from Delhi to Mysuru this Dussehra, the minister's salutation adds a governmental voice to a celebration that belongs, above all, to the people.