Civic employee suspended for 'negligence' as effigy remains half-burnt on
Dhamtari (PTI): An employee of the Dhamtari civic body in Chhattisgarh was suspended and show-cause notices were issued to four officials after all ten heads of the effigy of Ravana remained unburnt during the Dussehra celebrations here.
The pictures of the effigy-burning event held on October 5 in Ramleela Maidan in Dhamtari show the heads of the demon king remained intact, while the torso was reduced to ashes.
Dussehra or Vijayadashami marks the end of the annual Durga Puja festival, wherein the effigies of Ravana are burnt across the country to symbolize the victory of good over evil.
In Dhamtari, the Ravana effigy-burning event was organized by the local civic body.
After the Dussehra celebration, the Dhamtari Municipal Corporation (DMC) ordered a suspension of clerk Rajendra Yadav for his alleged negligence in making the effigy of Ravana.
The order states, Yadav, assistant grade-3, has committed grave negligence in making an effigy of Ravana for the Dussehra celebration 2022 that maligned the image of the DMC.
After the suspension of Yadav, another employee, Samarth Ransingh, was given his charge, said Rajesh Padamwar, executive engineer of the DMC.
Besides, four officials - assistant engineer Vijay Mehra and sub-engineers Lomas Dewangan, Kamlesh Thakur and Kamta Nagendra - have been issued show-cause notices by the DMC, which has sought their replies in this connection, he said.
Padamwar is currently handling the charge as the civic body chief since DMC commissioner Vinay Kumar Poyam is on leave.
Dhamtari Mayor Vijay Devangan said action has been taken against those who were given the responsibility of making the effigy and now payment for the work will be withheld.
According to the corporation officials, the artisans engaged in making the effigy allegedly were in setting it up on the ground ahead of the function.
Ten heads of the effigy remained unburnt which indicates that it was not made properly, they said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
