Mohali, October 17 (Harminder Singh Nagpal):- The Mohali Art, Cultural and Welfare Club (Regd.), Mohali, is organising its third Dussehra festival on Tuesday, October 20. Addressing a press conference today at the Dussehra venue in Sector 79, club president Kuldeep Singh Samana and general secretary Phoolraj Singh said that preparations for the festival were being finalised. The event is being organised under the patronage of MLA Kulwant Singh, and volunteers have been assigned duties to manage the large gathering expected at the festival. Every club member and office-bearer is working voluntarily and responsibly to ensure the smooth conduct of this religious event, with further responsibilities also being undertaken.
They said that MLA Kulwant Singh would be the chief guest, while Sri Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha MP Malvinder Singh Kang would attend as the special guest. Engineer Prabhjot Kaur, Chairperson of the Mohali District Planning Board; Mohali Municipal Corporation Mayor Sarbjit Singh Samana; Senior Deputy Mayor Rajinder Prasad Sharma; Deputy Mayor Harpal Singh Channa; along with councillors, panchayat members, sarpanches and prominent residents of the area, are also expected to attend in large numbers.
Speaking to the media, Phoolraj Singh clarified that fireworks would not be allowed to pollute the environment. He said that Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil and commemorates the evil deeds of Ravana and the goodness represented by Shri Ram Chandra Ji.
General Secretary Phoolraj Singh further said that professionally prepared tableaux by artists were being arranged for the Dussehra festival, with teams arriving from Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The artists will travel from Phase 1 Mandir through various phases and reach the Dussehra venue in Sector 79, where they will showcase their artistic skills.
In response to a question from journalists, Phoolraj Singh explained that MLA Kulwant Singh was making efforts to have the government designate a permanent site for celebrating Dussehra. He said that successive governments over the past 70 years had not shown personal interest in religious activities and had instead used such matters for political gain. However, MLA Kulwant Singh was pursuing the matter, and it was hoped that a site would soon be allotted.
Phoolraj Singh added that the idea of organising the Dussehra festival had come from MLA Kulwant Singh, who encouraged the club to hold the event, as the organisation had consistently made significant contributions to religious and social welfare activities. He also said that club coordinator and well-known social worker Paramjit Singh Chauhan was reviewing the arrangements for the festival.
Those present at the press conference included Damanjit Singh Aujla, Harpal Singh Channa, Harpal Singh Brar, Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Nihal Singh Virk and Gurmeet Singh Saini.
