# Meerut Muslim family makes Dussehra effigies in Shimla for 20 years 2026-10-17T03:55:56+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets A Muslim family from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh is crafting effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad for Dussehra celebrations at Shimla's historic Jakhu temple, with the festival on 20 October. Artist Mohammad Sohil said his family had been associated with the tradition for about 20 years, following elders whose involvement spans nearly 70 years. Sohil said the team of 20 to 22 people had already spent three days at Jakhu and would complete the effigies in two days. He added that they had never faced problems and were treated with love and respect. Another artist, Abdul Azim, said they were using fewer firecrackers this year to reduce pollution and had changed the clothing on the effigies. The artists, who have regular jobs as barbers, painters, tailors and mechanics, said the work was extra income. Sohil said some people try to divide on the basis of religion, which weakens the secular fabric, and urged maintaining brotherhood. India TV News reported Sohil's father had held the contract for 20 years and the family took a one-year break during the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Hindustan Times leads with the 70-year family tradition and devotes space to Sohil’s remarks on communal division weakening the secular fabric, while India TV News foregrounds the 20-year contract and the brotherhood quote from Abdul Azim. Hindustan Times omits the COVID-19 break that India TV News reports, and India TV News does not mention the environmental changes to firecrackers and clothing. Both sources are neutral in stance but select different details: Hindustan Times gives more weight to the artist’s political comment, India TV News frames the story purely around harmony. Neither source provides a named next step beyond completing the effigies before the festival on 20 October. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - hindustantimes.com (neutral report) Leads with 70-year span and includes artist's political comment - indiatvnews.com (neutral report) Leads with 20-year contract, omits environmental changes This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Abdul Azim, Dussehra, Meerut, Mohammad Sohil, Shimla Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/meerut-muslim-family-makes-dussehra-effigies-in-shimla-for-20-years/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/meerut-muslim-family-makes-dussehra-effigies-in-shimla-for-20-years/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/