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Preparations for Durga Puja continue despite protests over murder and rape of paramedic | News from India

Durga Puja Pandal, Patna

The Durga Puja celebrations are expected to begin on October 9. | Photo: PTI

3 minutes reading time Last updated: 07 September 2024 | 19:04 IS

Amid ongoing demonstrations demanding justice for the murdered RG Kar Hospital doctor, members of various committees have assured that preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja festival are in full swing.

A section of the population, disheartened by the arrest of just one person in connection with the rape and murder case, is demanding a boycott of Durga Puja celebrations this year. They argue that the protests should continue until the victim gets true justice. The Durga Puja celebrations are scheduled to begin on October 9.

“Until we get justice for our sister who was murdered in RG Kar Hospital, our movement will continue,” said Debalina Dey, RJ, social media activist and one of the prominent activists of the Women Reclaim the Night initiative in Sodepur.

“If this affects the preparations and shopping for the puja, then so be it. This is not the right time to discuss issues related to Durga Puja or pandals while standing in solidarity with Abhaya (the symbolic name given to the doctor),” she said.

Partha Ghosh, a senior official of the Forum for Durgotsav and one of the chief organisers of the Shiv Mandir Puja Committee, told PTI, “There is no question of stopping the celebrations. Durga Puja has been an integral part of Bengali culture for centuries.”

“We share the pain, anguish and grief associated with the heinous crime of August 9, but why should this lead to the cancellation of Bengal's most important festival? We are continuing our preparations for the celebration,” he added.

Ghosh, whose Shiv Mandir Puja Committee is a major attraction in south Kolkata, said the theme for this year's puja would be announced by the end of the month. The work is progressing at a brisk pace and around 60 workers from different districts are involved, he added.

Even the Kashi Bose Lane Puja, a major pandal in the north, has not given up on its theme, Ratnagarbha, which it decided on months ago.

“Why should the protests against RG Kar be linked with Durga Puja celebrations? We stand with the grieving family and demand the arrest of all those responsible for the incident. However, there is no reason to stop the extensive preparations for the festival, which involves thousands of migrant workers from different districts. The 60-70 migrants from different parts of the state, including South 24 Parganas, depend on our Puja for their livelihood throughout the year,” he added.

“Those who advocate a toning down of Durga Puja celebrations are not genuinely seeking justice for Abhaya. They are out of touch with the reality on the ground. Pre-festival business transactions run into thousands of crores within a single month. Those who demand an end to the celebrations are often aloof and prefer to shop abroad or at malls,” he noted.

Arijit Moitra, general secretary of the Samajsebi Sangha in Ballygunje, said, “Seventy percent of our work has already been completed. It involves numerous workers from different districts. What will happen to them if Durga Puja is cancelled? We are continuing with our daily activities. Let the protests continue along with pandal hopping during the five days of Puja. Let us pray to the Goddess for the safety of every woman.”

He added that there were no reports of sponsors withdrawing their support for Durga Puja this year, pointing out that sponsors usually wait until Ganesh Puja is over in Mumbai, the country's financial capital.

Anjan Ukil of the Ballygunje Cultural Puja Committee commented: “We expect the sponsors to get in touch with us later this week. Everything will be clearer by then.”

(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First published: 07 September 2024 | 19:04 IS

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