‘A Hero, Not Villain’: Bhim Army Demands Ban On ‘Ravan Dahan’ This Dasara

Maharashtra unit of the Bhim Army has demanded that “Ravan Dahan” be banned during this Dasara. The organization’s office-bearers will give a memoranda in this regard to the officials of the Maharashtra government, including police, from Monday, The New Indian Express has reported.

General Secretary of the Bhim Army’s Maharashtra unit, Sunil Thorat, told TNIE that they will be giving a memorandum to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at 2 pm. “Most of our district units too will meet the district collector as well as the police chiefs of the districts and hand over the memorandum to them,” he said.

He also said that a demand will be made to the CM and other officials to act against those who burn the effigy of Ravan. He, however, added that if people burnt effigies as a “symbol of all evils”, they would have no objection.

Bhim Army Ekta Mission’s Maharashtra head, Ashok Kamble, said that Ravan was a “judicious” and “popular” king and represented our rich cultural heritage. He said that a wrong depiction of Ravan as a “villain” had been made in the scriptures.

“Some tribes worship him as a god and hence, we want the unjust act of burning effigies of Ravan on Dasara banned," he said.