Friday's Dussehra revelries at Jaura Phatak here, where 62 people were killed when a train barrelled through them while they were scattered across tracks to view fireworks, were more a matter of political pomp than faith, if accounts by a section of residents including priests and effigy makers are anything to go by.
A decade ago, the city celebrated Dussehra at four locations — on vast open fields — and the events would be organised by temple committees and trusts. But now, the venues have multiplied haphazardly and celebrations have spilled over from playgrounds, as politicians try to one-up one another on flashy displays and fireworks, locals said.
"Some 10 years back, people knew exactly where to go to watch effigy burnings. It was celebrated at Durgiana Temple ground, Bhadrakali Temple ground, Ranjit Avenue ground and Cherta ground," said Harish Taneja, the secretary of Durgiana temple, told DNA.
"Now, Ravana effigies are burnt at 25 to 30 locations across the city. Organisers are mostly political leaders, sitting councillors or legislators," Taneja said, adding that celebrations have turned into a contest of might between parties.
Religious occasions in the holy city of Amritsar, priests and temple authorities rue, have come to be routinely appropriated by political leaders to lure fence-sitters and keep the voters distracted.
On Friday, event organiser Surabh Mithu Madan of the Congress and other party leaders boasted that 5,000 people had gathered in a show of support for party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu, which irked some local residents and mahants.
Former state health minister and veteran BJP leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla said, "People and leaders are competing with each other over who has made a taller Ravana effigy, or who has got more crackers going off in the effigies. It is more a show of strength." She said that this time around, 18 committee representatives met police commissioner SS Srivastava to obtain permission to hold the event.
"It has spread to small colonies, making things worse for the city in terms of pollution of all kinds," Chawla said. "Things Are going from bad to worse. It is a religious festival and should retain some solemn quality. It can't be reduced to a political event," Chwala said.
Srivastava said that the city authorities gave out 20 permissions to hold Dussehra festivities this year.
When DNA visited Lohgarh gate in Amritsar, which is the place where Ravana effigies are made, the effigy makers said that business was good, every locality had started asking for its own effigy.
The Banwari Lal clan, which is locally known for making effigies for generations, ha sno reason to complain. Arjun Kumar, a member of the extended family, said that they were making more moolah now with politicians demanding larger-than-life effigies. "Things have changed in the last one decade. Earlier, there were only a few people who would place an order during Dussehra, but now we get more than 50 orders a year. For the last five years, there has been an increase in demand by 10 per cent to 20 per cent," said Kumar, who lives with his family and other clan members in slums comprising around 30 houses, all engaged in the family business.
He alleged that now, they get some grease money from organisers who want to know which politician has [placed an order for the largest Ravana dummy and what are the materials being used.
Vicky Kumar, another member of the clan, stated that this was happening because of more money is being pumped by politicians into the expanding city.
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