Tribal body in Warora seeks ban on Ravan Dahan on Dussehra, warns of agitation

Warora (Chandrapur): The entire Adivasi 'Saga' community has submitted a memorandum at Warora police station demanding a ban on the burning of Ravan's effigy on Dussehra. The memorandum says the practice hurts religious sentiments.

According to the memorandum, the Adivasi community, which worships nature and protects water, forest and land, regards Mahatma Raja Ravan as its revered deity. It says the burning of Ravan on Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, is hurting the religious and cultural sentiments of the Adivasi community on a large scale. Strong resentment has been expressed over the issue in Warora tehsil, and the community has therefore made a complete ban on Ravan Dahan its main demand.

The memorandum also refers to an Instagram post. It says some anti-social elements recently put up an Instagram story and made the post viral, saying Ravan Dahan would be held with great fanfare in Warora. According to the memorandum, this has deeply hurt the feelings of the Adivasi community. The community has demanded strict legal action against these people, who it says are disturbing social harmony.

The memorandum also states that for the past few years the Adivasi community has been running a public awareness campaign against Ravan Dahan across the state, and that the burning has now been stopped in many cities.

A stern warning has also been issued to the administration. The memorandum says that if the administration does not grasp the gravity of the matter and take appropriate steps immediately, and Mahatma Raja Ravan is burnt anywhere in the tehsil, the entire Adivasi 'Saga' community will take to the streets in a intense agitation. It also states clearly that if tension between two communities or a law-and-order problem arises thereafter, the administration will be fully responsible.

Those present when the memorandum was submitted were Balubhau Gedam, senior Adivasi leader and former panchayat samiti member Chintamanji Atram, former Warora municipal council president Gajanan Meshram, writer Dattatraya Gawande and social worker Sandeep Dhanorkar. They were accompanied by Anand Gedam, Satish Gedam, Suraj Pendor, Manoj Pendor and a large number of Adivasi community members and activists.

The matter is now the talk of the Warora area. Police and the administration are keeping a watch on it.