New Delhi: This Dussehra, the burning of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad will have an unusual addition in the national capital—a 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy. The Keshav Ramlila Committee has decided to include the symbolic figure in its celebrations to spread awareness about cleanliness and the harmful effects of unhygienic surroundings.
Committee president and Model Town MLA Ashok Goel Devrha said the initiative aims to encourage people to keep their homes, neighbourhoods and public spaces clean. The effigy will be set ablaze at the committee’s Ramlila ground in Pitampura, also known as NSP Ground, and is expected to be a major attraction during the celebrations.
Devrha said Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil. He added that the committee had previously used symbolic effigies to highlight social challenges, including Naxalism and terrorism. This year, the cockroach has been chosen to draw attention to the need for better sanitation and a cleaner environment.
The decision comes amid protests by the Cockroach Janata Party in Delhi over various issues, including alleged irregularities in electoral roll revision. Security arrangements have also been strengthened in Connaught Place ahead of a proposed protest at Central Park.
