Kashmiri Pandits have decided to celebrate Dussehra festival in Jammu and Kashmir this year after the gap of 20 years. According to the report, Kashmiri Hindus has planned to burn the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnath during the celebration of Dussehra festival in Srinagar.
Sanjay Tickoo, president of Kashmiri Pandits Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), said that this celebration would be a historical event for Kashmiri Hindus. He said:
The festival was celebrated last time in 1987 in Srinagar when kashmiri pandits had celebrated Dussehra and burnt the effigy of Ravana at Iqbal Park in Srinagar. Now, we have planned to revive that festival again in valley.
However, the Dussehra organizing committee has not yet decided about the venue of the festival. KPSS has also planned to approach the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to decide the venue and to talk about the security arrangements during the function.
The organization would also ask for the permission from administration to conduct the festival in valley after the gap of 20 long years. The KPSS has showed interest to organize the function either at SP College ground or Polo ground.
Earlier, the Dussehra festival was a popular festival in all the major district headquarters in the state. In the late 80s, the frequent terror strikes in valley forced the Kashmiri Pandits to migrate to other states and Dussehra was never celebrated in the valley since then.
Now, the KPSS has decided to revive the festival in valley. It has hoped that many people would come out to take part in the festival. KPSS claimed that when the Samiti had organized Shobha Yatra in September on Janmasthami, several Muslims had actively participated in the Shobha Yatra of Lord Krishna.
The Samiti further said that it was encouraged by the active participation from the Muslims and decided to celebrate the Dussehra festival on October 21 in valley after the gap of 20 years.
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