Effigy makers in distress due to rising prices of raw material
Rajesh Kumar aka Raju, an effigy maker belonging to this border town, is in distress. His family had been in the trade of effigy making for the past two generations. Earlier, due to Covid, their business was hit badly but now their work has been affected due to rising prices of the raw material.
Vikramditya Sharma
Oct 5, 2022 11:16
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Ferozepur, October 5, 2022: Rajesh Kumar aka Raju, an effigy maker belonging to this border town, is in distress. His family had been in the trade of effigy making for the past two generations. Earlier, due to Covid, their business was hit badly but now their work has been affected due to rising prices of the raw material.
“Due to GST and other taxes, the rates of the goods have been increased day by day. The prices of the bamboos and other raw material including paper have increased which is making the lives of the effigy makers difficult. In 2020, due to Covid the effigy burning did not take place due to which we had to face a great loss. This year, I have made 40 ft tall effigies costing around Rs. Forty Eight Thousand each effigy”, said Raju.
“I along with my relatives make effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbharkaran after some religious ceremony and prayers. Even the effigies are sent to the ground in a very religious manner”, said Raju adding that Ravana was a great scholar but he was killed by Bhagwan Ram due to arrogance only adding that he feels bad when the effigies created by them got burnt. “but this is their destiny and this is how we make money for living”, he added.
Meanwhile, the organizers of the various Dussera celebration clubs had to face great trouble the place for burning the effigies was not clear to the organizers. The place for burning the effigies was decided at the eleventh hour and finally the ITI ground was provided by the administration for the effigy burning.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier the effigy burning used to take place at Housing Board colony ground but now a park had been constructed there while the work of laying of synthetic track is under progress at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium, where effigy burning had taken place in 2019.
Vijay Monga of “Siyaram Dramatic Club” said that for the last 25 years the club has been organizing the event of burning the effigies on Dussera. “This is for the time, the effigy burning will take place with the help of remote control which will be a delightful sight”, said Monga.
Surinder Lamba, SSP said that all the security arrangements have been made to avert any untoward incident.
