Indore: Burn effigies of evil instead of Ravana in Brahman attire on Vijaydashmi

Sarva Brahmin Yuva Parishad has served a legal notice to organisers of Dussehra festival asking them not to burn the effigy of Ravana clad in dhoti and janeu (scared thread) and with a tilak on forehead--symbolising a Brahmin.

The organisation has demanded that instead of Ravana, effigies of evil should be burnt on Vijaydashmi.  They claimed that burning such an effigy hurts sentiments of Brahmin community.

Regional coordinator of the Parishad Vikas Awasthi told dna that a legal notice has been served to Dussehra organisers including RC Salwadia, Pt Bhawani Kashyap and others through the counsel Sunil Gupta.

Awasthi mentioned that the notice claims if Ravana's effigy with symbols of Brahmins (tripund, janeu and dhoti) is burnt on Dussehra, then it would hurt Brahmin community sentiments and the community would be compelled to take legal action.

Awasthi claimed that the parishad holds Vijaydashmi festival for years but instead of Ravana, effigies of evil are burnt in form of terrorist Osama Bin Laden, parliament attack accused Afzal Guru, , Veerappan, inflation, corruption and FDI in retail.

"This year the parishad would burn the effigy of growing crimes against women for raising awareness on this menace," Awasthi claimed.

Apart from legal notices, the parishad officebearers plan to hold personal meetings with the Dussehra organisers for convincing them about parishad's views on the issue.