For some Durga Puja organisers, the decision is also a show of support for the massive protests that have erupted across the State since then
| Photo Credit: AP
Ripples of the State-wide protests against the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) have dampened this year’s Durga Puja spirits, with multiple Puja organisers rejecting the yearly festive honorarium given by the Mamata Banerjee government in protest.
On July 23 this year, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a hike in the honorarium for community Durga Pujas, increasing it to ₹85,000 per puja committee from ₹70,000 last year.
However, many puja committees have decided not to accept the grant in a bid to demand justice for the woman doctor who was raped and killed at the State-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. For some organisers, the decision is also a show of support for the massive protests that have erupted across the State since then.
‘Social responsibility’
One such puja committee is the Uttarpara Shakti Sangha, located in Uttarpara in Hooghly district. The secretary of the committee, Prosenjit Ghosh, told The Hindu that their decision to refuse the government’s grant was not to oppose or support any particular political organisation. “We cannot accept the government’s grant until the culprits are found and duly punished. This is our way of taking social responsibility for the cause and demanding justice for the victim,” he said.
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While the Uttarpara Shakti Sangha was one of the first Durga Pujas to announce rejection of the grant, the Highland Park Utsav Committee in south Kolkata, Apanader Durga Puja in Hooghly’s Uttarpara Jayakrishna Street and the Bethuadahari Town Club in Nadia district followed suit.
On Tuesday, during a protest rally at Bethuadahari, members of the Bethuadahari Town Club announced that the Durga Puja honorarium is being rejected this year in protest against the doctor’s rape and murder. “We condemn the rape and murder that took place at RGKMCH,” they announced.
Meanwhile, a member of ‘Apanader Durga Puja’, said, ‘People across the State and the country as well as outside India are protesting against what happened at RGKMCH.’ Therefore, he said, they did not accept the ₹85,000 grant from the State government, and they demand justice instead.
BJP councillor from Baranagar, Sajal Ghosh also called upon Durga Pujas in Kolkata to return the ₹85,000 honorarium offered by the West Bengal government. He called this a mark of protest against the State’s “failure to ensure women’s safety.” Mr. Ghosh is a puja organiser at one of the major north Kolkata Durga pujas at Santosh Mitra Square.
Many social media users have started a hashtag on social media #boycottdurgapujo which says things like, “When you cannot respect women, there is no need to celebrate the Goddess,” and “Say NO to Durga Pujo… until the real Durga gets justice.”
‘Negative campaign’
But many Durga Puja enthusiasts, organisers and other clubs across the city showed support for the festivities and said the R.G. Kar incident was horrific. They all wanted justice for the victim but that had no relation to the age-old tradition of Durga Pujas in West Bengal and the festivities should not be boycotted.
Saswata Basu, general secretary of Forum for Durgotsab, told The Hindu, “People related to Durga Pujas have not rejected or boycotted the pujas. This is just a negative campaign started by the media people and journalists.”
Mr. Basu said, “This festival helps create livelihood for lakhs of people. We condemn the R.G. Kar incident. We want justice for the victim, but that has nothing to do with the Durga Pujas.”
Debasish Kumar, Trinamool Congress MLA from Rashbehari constituency and one of the organisers of the Tridhara Sarbajanin Durgotsav festival organisers, told local media, “Bengal is in a state of unrest. People who will benefit by proving this are calling for the Durga Puja boycott. But Bengalis know that this festival is an emotion in itself.”