By IANS,
Ranchi : Breaking a tradition since the creation of Jharkhand in 2000, Chief Minister Shibu Soren has refused to burn an effigy of demon king Ravana, saying he was a “great scholar”.
In north India, Ravana’s effigy is burnt on Vijay Dashmi, marking the end of Dusshera celebration and considered to symbolise victory of good over evil.
A delegation of Punjabi and Hindu Biradari (PHB) met Soren Monday and requested him to accept the invitation to burn the effigy of Ravana at Morabadi ground on Vijay Dashmi.
“Soren declined to accept the invitation terming Ravana as Kulguru,” said Chandra Mohan Kapoor, PHB chairman.
He said quoting Soren: “How can one burn the effigy of Kulguru who is worshipped?”
Since the creation of the state in November 2000, there was a tradition in Jharkhand that the chief minister sets the Ravana effigy on fire.
The Dusshera festival will start early next month.
Close associates of Soren say that Ravana and his forefathers were closely associated with the jungles of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Ravana was a Brahmin by caste and was revered by the people of the area.