India is perhaps the only country in the world where desserts are not merely sweets. signifies different emotions, reflects a certain status, and holds unique meanings.
One such sweet that has acquired a layered connotation, particularly in politics, is revdi. Traditionally considered a humble, low-end sweet, revdi is made by mixing sesame seeds and ghee into molten jaggery and allowing it to harden into small, candy-sized pieces. While popular in North India, revdi has become infamous in political discourse, synonymous with freebie politics.
The term “revdi politics” is widely used to describe populist measures where political parties promise free goods or benefits—ranging from TVs, gold, and free rations to direct cash transfers—to woo voters. Critics often use the term disparagingly, as revdi represents a quick, low-cost sweet offered for instant gratification. The metaphor works because no other sweet could serve this purpose as aptly. For instance, calling it “kaju katli politics” would not have the same effect, as kaju katli is seen as a premium dessert.
Now, before we go ahead, I think on behalf of all revdi lovers of India, or any union of revdi makers and consumers, I would like to make a submission: Revdi is not cheap or low-end anymore. Yes, it is true that for the older generations, the streetside vendors or pushcartsused to sell revdi. Perhaps the cheap association stuck since then. However, do a quick search of ‘buy revdi’ on your phone’s browser and you will get multiple options on where to buy revdi online. What you will also notice is that revdi is not cheap – it is upwards of Rs 300 for half a kilo. Now do a search for ‘buy laddoo’ and ‘buy burfi’. You will find that all these sweets are similarly priced. Most common Indian sweets now sell for Rs600-800 per kilo.The humble revdi, my dear elitist dessert friends, is selling at in the same pricing ballpark as Motichoor Ladoo, Milk Burfi, Kala Jamun, Jalebi, Imarti and Mysore Pak. Isn’t it unfair that we have tagged this sweet as some form of a cheap giveaway? How does one even serve it to guests now? So, one behalf of the recently formed AIRLA (All India Revdi Lovers Association), we ask we remove this negative connotation from our beloved mithai.
Now that we saved the revdi, let’s also talk what it is associated with – revdi politics. India is probably the only place where every political party has accused its opponents of doing revdi politics but have also done so themselves. Neither has any political party ever withdrawn a major welfare or freebie measure started by their opponent. That’s the thing about revdi. Once you give it, you cannot stop giving it.
It’s also about how you package the revdi. Imagine I toss a plate of revdis on your face or give it to you like alms to a beggar. Disrespectful right? Now, imagine if I give it to you wrapped in a nice box, with red ribbons, and say you are ‘special’ and I ‘respect’ you. Totally different, isn’t it? That is why most of the welfare schemes have names that signify either love or respect (laad, sammaan).
The question is where will this politics lead us to? Every major state and every major political party now has a rather substantial ‘game changer’ welfare scheme plans. The technology of easy digital cash transfers allows welfare measures like never before. The state can almost give a monthly salary – to all women, to unemployed youth, to farmers, to the low-income earners, to priests and granthis (yes there’s a scheme like that as well) and more. In some states, free electricity and water is the norm. It is almost like we are one of those oil rich, fiscal surplus states, with a low citizen population so we don’t know what to do with the money we make. Only difference is, we are not. Our fiscal accounts are always tight. We always run fiscal deficits, which means the government spends more than it earns. The government has a lot of debt, and spends a lot on interest payments. The more revdi/freebie/welfare schemes we add, the higher that deficit goes. The higher the deficit, the more the government must borrow or print money to cover it. Borrowing more raises interest rates, slowing down business and the economy. Printing money increases inflation. Neither helps the individual citizen. Ultimately, like actual revdis, political revdis are also neither free norcheap. Someone pays for it. It is usually you. If say a household earns and spends 20,000 rupees a month. They may be overjoyed if the government sends them an additional 2000 rupees a month. However, if there’s 10% inflation, then the household anyway now needs 22,000 rupees a month to run itself. Nothing really changed. Left pocket to right pocket.
Revdi is not free. Neither is anything the government spends money on. Someone always pays for it. In economist Milton Friedman’s words “The real tax is never just the tax rate. The real tax is what the government spends.“ So sure, make your government spend more. Make it distribute revdis, kaju katli and burfi in red ribboned boxes. Just remember that someone is paying for it. Eventually that someone is you or your children.
Are politicians to blame? Absolutely not. When the citizenry loves the idea of ‘The government just needs to give it, I don’t care where they get it from,’ the politician must listen. If I were a politician, maybe I would do the same, pack revdis in red ribboned boxes. My job would be to make the voters happy, isn’t it?
Certain state schemes have become such big political hits that it is only a matter of time before we have nationwide adoption. The cash transfers to women scheme, for instance, could well become a national scheme. Let’s do a quick and simple math to illustrate how much it will cost nationwide. If we give Rs 2,000/month to eventually cover50% of all Indian women, who are say roughly 50% of our 140cr population, it will cost us Rs 2,000/month X 12 months X 50% X 50% * 140 crores = Rs8.4lakh crores per year. In comparison, the entire fiscal deficit of the nation is around Rs 17 lakh crores. This deficit is already too high. To bump this up by 50% with just one welfare scheme can lead to huge spikes in inflation and interest rates. This will be the eventual bill the revdi–eating citizens of this country will have to pay. If you love the direct cash transfers, please don’t complain about “everything has become somuch more expensive” later.
The recent upcoming Delhi elections is where this welfarepolitics is in full swing. The residents of Delhi are loving it.While there may be no electricity and water bill today, the real bill will only arrive much later. Meanwhile, let’s enjoy the revdis.
Anyway, all this talk of sweets has made me hungry. Let me order some revdis online. Unless someone wants to send them to me for free!