Ramgarh: Dussehra celebrations across Ramgarh saw Ravan effigies as tall as 70 feet, along with Meghnad and Kumbhkaran, going up in flames. But at Bhadaninagar, a smaller 25-foot Ravan effigy drew attention for its setting and sentiment.The Ravan Dahan was held near the premises of the closed Indo-Asahi Glass (IAG) factory. Many residents said the event reflected their hope that the factory’s silent chimneys would one day restart and bring back jobs for families affected by its closure.Patratu circle officer Manoj Kumar Chaurasia said, “The Ravan Dahan near the closed factory premises concluded peacefully amid a large gathering.”The factory was set up in 1952 by industrialist Lala Gulsharan Lal. Japan’s Asahi Glass Company took it over in 1957 and renamed it Indo-Asahi Glass. Its products were sold in India and abroad.At its peak, the factory employed over 1,000 permanent workers and supported nearly 15,000 livelihoods. It also made Bhadaninagar a cultural hub. The unit shut in 2004, briefly reopened in 2009, and closed again in April 2011.
