The toxic Hindutva ideology, led by the BJP, came to power under the pretext of upholding ‘Odia Asmita’ (pride in Odia identity) and addressing the everyday needs of the people of Odisha. Its vision for inclusive development by 2036 and beyond was outlined in the 2024 Odisha BJP manifesto, which promised prosperity for all by “liberating the agricultural sector from bureaucratic entanglements” and ensuring that farmers have access to robust infrastructure and support. Additionally, the manifesto pledged the “proper implementation of the New Education Policy” to empower youth, along with “revitalizing the health and education sectors, strengthening infrastructure, and igniting a new era of holistic development” to build a “Viksit Bharat” (developed India) and “Viksit Odisha” (developed Odisha) under the leadership of the BJP, led by Narendra Modi. However, the manifesto, titled ‘Modi’s Guarantee for Odisha 2024’, contradicts the very idea of ‘Odia Asmita,’ implying that Odisha lacks its own political, cultural, and social icons.
The top twenty-one promises made by the Odisha BJP in its 2024 election manifesto have taken a back seat after coming to power in the state. The BJP government has failed miserably to uphold its manifesto pledge, which stated: “Kaama Sabu Hata Ku, Paani Sabu Kheta Ku, Chhatta Sabu Munda Ku” (employment for all hands, water for all lands, and a roof over all heads). The government has failed to generate new employment opportunities, provide adequate water to agricultural lands, and deliver housing for the homeless as promised in the manifesto. These issues are not priority for the BJP government in Odisha.
The BJP government’s priority is to develop a new excise policy that promotes various forms of local alcoholic beverages to generate state revenue—at the cost of public health. This move blatantly reflects the government’s rent-seeking nature, as it prioritizes financial gains over the well-being of the people, threatening both public health and the social fabric of the state. Alcohol and other forms of addiction contribute to a wide range of crimes, from petty offenses to serious acts like murder, rape, and suicide. Addiction weakens both the body and mind of citizens, destroying lives and tearing apart the social fabric. However, a weakened and demoralized society is easier to control—making it a convenient tool for those in power. For the BJP government, generating revenue at the expense of public health is not a moral dilemma but a calculated strategy to maintain dominance and suppress resistance of empowered citizens.
The BJP government has the potential to generate massive revenue by curbing the mining revenue loss of ₹22,392 crore to the Odisha exchequer and addressing the ₹10,294 crore lost due to the undervaluation of ores. Additionally, revenue could be increased by expanding both food and cash crop agricultural production. Odisha, blessed with immense natural beauty, could also promote sustainable tourism as a viable source of income. The state is rich in forest and mineral resources, which, if managed effectively, could contribute significantly to its economy. With a vast coastline, Odisha has the potential to boost revenue by developing industrial infrastructure for aquaculture and marine resources. However, the BJP government, driven by its short-sighted Hindutva agenda, appears indifferent to utilizing these natural assets for sustainable economic growth.
Like previous governments led by the Congress and BJD, the current BJP-led administration continues to hand over the state’s valuable resources to private individuals and corporations. Instead of exploring responsible avenues for revenue generation, the BJP government is prioritizing the expansion of the alcohol market—endangering public health, destabilizing families, and damaging the social fabric of Odisha. According to World Health Organization (WHO) reports, alcohol consumption leads to more deaths, illnesses, mental and physical disabilities, and destitution than measles and malaria. Yet, for Hindutva ideology, salvation comes only after death, absolving the government of any responsibility for the well-being of its citizens. This disregard for public health aligns with the BJP government’s policies, which prioritize revenue generation over the lives and welfare of the people.
Throughout history, landlords, monarchs, emperors, colonizers, and reactionary ruling classes have promoted alcohol, drugs, substance use, and religion as tools of governance and collected revenue from it as well. These mechanisms serve to pacify the masses, divert attention from systemic exploitation, and maintain control by promoting dependence and obedience. By keeping people addicted—whether to intoxicating substances or dogmatic beliefs—ruling elites ensure that resistance remains weak, and the status quo remains unchallenged.
Therefore, the ruling bourgeoisie across history has relied on promoting intoxicating “frivolous consumption”, “organised religion”, and “nationalism” to mask its failures and manipulate the masses, ensuring the continuation of its rule. The Hindutva bourgeoisie is no exception. Addiction—whether to alcohol, drugs, or reactionary ideas like feudal and patriarchal privileges, religious dogma, and hyper-nationalism—creates politically indifferent, subservient individuals who surrender rather than fight for their democratic rights or demand their fair share of the natural resources of their land.
Intoxication, whether through substances or regressive ideologies, is an assault on human reason, science, and rationality. It alienates individuals from their material reality, erodes their spiritual freedom, and undermines their social well-being. Such conditions provide a fertile ground for Hindutva politics, which the BJP government in Odisha is actively promoting. By pushing a new excise policy, the BJP aims to create a population that is addicted and subjugated—one that never questions authority but instead indulges in its addictions to alcohol and other drugs until self-destruction till death.
Opposing toxic Hindutva and its exploitative, rent-seeking excise policy is essential for preserving a peaceful society and a healthy democracy in Odisha. A truly thriving society is built on the foundation of informed, healthy citizens who embrace science, reason, and secularism. When governance prioritizes public well-being over profiteering from addiction and manipulation, only then can democracy flourish and society progress.
Bhabani Shankar Nayak is a political commentator
