India: Cockroach and Drug Effigies Burned in Dussehra Celebrations

Unconventional effigies targeting societal issues, including a giant cockroach symbolizing filth, were burned across India during Dussehra festivities.

During Dussehra festival celebrations across India, unusual effigies representing various societal ills were set ablaze, newspaper The Hindu and network NDTV reported.

According to the reports, organizers of the Ramlila event in the Pitampura area of Delhi burned an effigy shaped like a cockroach. The Shree Keshav committee stated that the cockroach was intended to symbolize dirt and promote cleanliness as part of civic and national campaigns such as "Swachh Bharat." Following the event, Abhijeet Dipke thanked the organizers for giving him free publicity.

NDTV noted that other effigies burned across the country targeted contemporary problems such as drug abuse. Further details have not yet been released.