Punjab: Shah burns ‘Chitta Ravan’ effigy, vows war on drugs

Shah attended the traditional Ravan Dehan ceremony at the Daresi mela, regarded as one of Punjab’s oldest and grandest Dussehra gatherings

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday burned a symbolic effigy of “Chitta Ravan”, representing the drug menace, at Ludhiana’s historic Daresi ground during Dussehra celebrations.

The symbolic “Chitta Ravan” effigy represented the drug menace, particularly the challenge posed by narcotics in Punjab. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Shah attended the traditional Ravan Dehan ceremony at the Daresi mela, regarded as one of Punjab’s oldest and grandest Dussehra gatherings. The event attracts thousands of people every year, including migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar employed in Ludhiana’s industrial sector.

Addressing the gathering, Shah recalled the festival’s reputation beyond Punjab, saying that when he was young, people in Gujarat would tell him that one must witness Ludhiana’s Dussehra at least once in a lifetime. He said the experience would remain etched in his memory.

Linking the symbolic burning of the effigy to the fight against narcotics, Shah said the country had overcome major challenges posed by terrorism and Naxalism and that the next focus must be eradicating drugs.

“We finished terrorism and Naxalism in the country; now it’s the turn of drugs,” he said.

The symbolic “Chitta Ravan” effigy represented the drug menace, particularly the challenge posed by narcotics in Punjab. Shah was accompanied on stage by senior Punjab BJP leaders, including former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu and Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon.