Opinion | Uttar Pradesh’s Diwali In The Light Of Good Governance | Dr Satish Kumar Sharma

Diwali is not merely a festival celebrating the victory of light over darkness, truth over falsehood, and hope over despair, but also symbolises a welfare-orientated system in which even the last person in society can experience happiness, security, dignity, and prosperity. The message conveyed by the lamps lit on Lord Shri Ram’s return to Ayodhya remains relevant even centuries later in the same context: a state's true prosperity should be measured by the happiness in the lives of its citizens and their trust in the government.

Under the Yogi government, Diwali celebrations in UP have taken on a new meaning in this broader sense. This experience is reflected in confidence in law and order, the pace of development, the revival of cultural heritage, and the expansion of public welfare schemes. Viewed in the context of this Diwali festival, the atmosphere of joy and security in which people celebrated appears to have pierced the darkness of insecurity that prevailed a decade ago.

Good governance does not merely mean the smooth functioning of government machinery; it also means translating the sensitivity of governance into people's everyday lives. When citizens feel secure, the light of welfare reaches the homes of the poor, entrepreneurs get opportunities, and new avenues of livelihood open; by connecting traditions with development, Diwali's light attains its true meaning. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Diwali in UP is becoming a reflection of this radiance of good governance, cultural consciousness and public trust.

The oldest lesson of political philosophy is that the foremost duty of governance is to make citizens fear-free, because a society living in fear can neither celebrate festivals nor undertake enterprise nor dream of a better future. Chanakya had stated that a king's happiness lies in the happiness of his people. On the night of November 8, when lamps lit villages and cities across the state, another thing shone alongside their flames: a sense of security that had awakened among the people.

CM Yogi's assertion that law and order is the identity of new Uttar Pradesh is a declaration of his philosophy of governance. One ideological point needs clarification here. Freedom and order are often portrayed as rivals, as though one must be curtailed to strengthen the other. However, this is a misconception, because wherever anarchy prevails, it is the freedom of the weakest that is compromised first. Therefore, the strict and impartial enforcement of law essentially means standing in support of the ordinary citizen. In his vision of Ram Rajya, Tulsidas portrayed a state where freedom from physical, divine and material sufferings was the essence of meaningful governance. Freedom from fear is the modern expression of that same tradition.

The purpose of the state is to protect the weak from the injustice of the powerful. Where this responsibility is not properly fulfilled, law remains confined to books, and the principle of 'might is right' prevails in society. People of Uttar Pradesh are well acquainted with this experience. They remember a time when an area's identity was determined by its strongman; lodging a complaint at a police station was considered an act of courage. Before festivals, police were primarily concerned about whether anything might go wrong. Today, that mindset has changed. Meetings are now held ahead of festivals, sensitive locations are monitored, those spreading rumours are kept under watch, and the visible presence of police in markets reassures people about their safety. This change is not merely administrative but psychological, and the real success of law and order is precisely what finds its way into the minds of citizens.

CM Yogi Adityanath has placed this issue at the centre of his governance priorities from the beginning. His position has been clear: the rule of law is non-negotiable. During Janta Darshan at the end of September, he described law and order as the identity of the new Uttar Pradesh and said those obstructing it would be taught a lesson. The underlying principle of this approach is that zero tolerance towards crime is not merely about strictness but a foremost condition for justice. A system that is lenient towards criminals is, in reality, harsh towards victims.

Security during festivals is the most challenging test of this principle. In a state like Uttar Pradesh, where the population runs into crores and lakhs of people take to the streets together during every festival, managing crowds and maintaining communal harmony is no easy task. Crowds throng markets during Diwali, firecracker shops stay open late into the night, and processions and fairs take place. In such circumstances, a successful conclusion of the festival without any major untoward incident proves the preparedness of the police and administration. In March too, CM had highlighted the peaceful celebration of festivals across the state as an example of the transformation in law and order. The argument is compelling that governance in a state where all festivals conclude without tension cannot be described as lax.

A fear-free environment benefits traders and small shopkeepers above all. Diwali is the biggest opportunity of the year to earn a livelihood. Sweet shop owners, cloth merchants, jewellers, petty traders and those selling earthen lamps and decorative lights all put a substantial part of their capital at stake during these days. They take this risk only when they are confident that their shops, their goods and their lives are safe. When fear of robbery, extortion, and forced collection of money declines, capital flows into the market, and so does its vibrancy. In this way, law and order translates directly into economic confidence, which is why a secure environment is considered the first step towards development.

The most sensitive aspect of this confidence is women's safety. Women going to markets and temples and distributing sweets among neighbours on festival evenings should be a normal sight, but this requires a secure environment. The expressions of happiness on the faces of women and others during this Diwali were essentially indicative of the sense of security that had developed within them. Communal harmony was also openly visible during Diwali. The UP government's message that, regardless of whose festival it is, anyone attempting to disrupt it will not be spared inspires trust rather than fear. A fear-free Diwali means that no community should feel apprehensive and no miscreant should feel free to act with impunity.

The central message of Diwali is the victory of light over darkness, and from a governance perspective, fear is the greatest form of darkness. On the night when crores of homes across the state were illuminated without apprehension, it was proved that a lamp's flame can burn fearlessly only when the law stands behind it. For the past decade, UP has celebrated a fear-free Diwali, and every citizen hopes that same sense of security, joy, and brightness will continue to prevail during every festival in the years to come.

About the Author: Dr. Satish Kumar Sharma is the former Principal of CSSS (PG) College, Machhra, Meerut. A veteran academic leader, his work focuses on higher education administration, curriculum development, and institutional governance.

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