NEW DELHI, Oct. 16 -- A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during Dussehra celebrations in Delhi's Pitampura this year, with organisers saying the unusual addition is intended to highlight the need to eliminate filth and unhygienic conditions from society.
The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee, which organises the annual celebrations, has decided to include the giant insect among the effigies that will be set ablaze as part of the traditional Vijayadashami festivities. Committee president and Model Town BJP MLA Ashok Goel Devaraha said the cockroach would symbolise dirt and unhygienic conditions in homes, neighbourhoods and society. The announcement comes amid continuing demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital, which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. However, the organisers have maintained that the decision is intended to promote cleanliness rather than convey a political message.
Explaining the committee's decision, Devaraha said Vijayadashami traditionally represented the triumph of truth over falsehood and good over evil. He said the burning of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran effigies had long conveyed the message that righteousness ultimately prevailed. The committee, he added, had previously introduced additional effigies to draw attention to contemporary problems affecting the country. "Keeping these principles in mind, we have also, in the past, burned effigies representing various afflictions plaguing our nation, such as Naxalism or terrorism," Devaraha told ANI on Thursday.
He said the committee had now decided to use the cockroach as a symbol of unhygienic conditions. "This year, our committee has decided to burn an effigy of a cockroach, a symbol of filth, at the Keshav Ramlila Committee grounds (NSP). Our goal is to eliminate filth from three areas: our homes, our immediate surroundings, and society at large," he said. The effigy will be erected at the committee's Ramlila grounds in Pitampura, near Netaji Subhash Place.
Devaraha said the cockroach effigy would stand 30 feet tall, making it a prominent addition to the traditional Dussehra spectacle. "It will be a 30-foot-tall effigy, shaped like a cockroach; it's going to be quite a striking sight!" he said. The committee president maintained that the objective was to draw public attention to the importance of keeping surroundings clean. Asked why the organisers had specifically chosen a cockroach to represent the problem, Devaraha said the insect was associated with unhygienic conditions. "Look, filth, in any form, is something that our country, our society, and even our local neighbourhoods need to be rid of. That is the reason behind our decision," he said. The organisers have linked the initiative to the broader message of cleanliness promoted through the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
The announcement has attracted attention because it coincides with demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party in Delhi and other parts of the country. The organisation had earlier protested against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in June and July. It has since intensified its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The CJP has joined opposition parties and student organisations in demonstrations questioning the Election Commission's handling of the electoral-roll revision exercise. Although the timing of the Ramlila committee's announcement coincides with these protests, the organisers have denied any political motivation behind the decision to burn the cockroach effigy.
Meanwhile, CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke has called for a "Lehra Do Tiranga" gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday. The proposed demonstration is part of the organisation's continuing campaign over alleged electoral irregularities and police action against protesters. Security personnel have been deployed in and around Connaught Place ahead of the scheduled gathering. The New Delhi Municipal Council has announced that Central Park will remain closed to the general public on October 16 and 17, citing administrative reasons. Delhi Police has also announced restrictions on the proposed gathering, offering to facilitate a limited group of 11 people carrying the national flag and singing the national anthem at a suitable location. The developments have brought the CJP's protests and the Ramlila committee's unusual effigy into focus on the same day. The organisers, however, have reiterated that the cockroach effigy is intended to convey a message about cleanliness and the traditional victory of good over evil.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.