Chopping budget would mean losses, can’t do: Puja organizers
The Statesman | 24 August 2024
With hardly 45 days remaining for the biggest festival of the state, preparations are at an advanced stage and retrieving could bring immense losses to the entire economy of the state, claimed Durga Puja organisers in the city.
A debate is doing the rounds on social media, where section of users are demanding boycott of the festival as a mark of protest against the brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor at R G Kar Hospital this month. Several users also went up to the extent of calling off the event or minimizing its scale to the least possible.
When The Statesman took the opinion of around 40 ordinary citizens and some of the puja organisers, almost all of them demanded justice for the victim unanimously. They echoed that minimizing the scale could have a rippling effect on the common people even in the remotest part of the state and impact their livelihood adversely. Members of several clubs claimed that taking a back step at this stage was almost impossible for them. “There is no second thought about being in solidarity with the demand of justice for the victim of R G Kar. But, we do need to consider the fact that preparations for the Durga Puja begin almost a year in advance. Even the small clubs start preparing, at least, 10 months before the commencement of the Puja. Considering the fact, withdrawing the preparations would mean taking back all the advance payments and huge financial losses,” said the secretary of a club in the city. “Another echoed, “We already have seen two years of small-scale Durga Puja during the pandemic outbreak. The financial losses in those two years were unthinkable. In the past two years, we recovered to some extent following the usual festivities. Another wave of financial losses would be like a major blow to the industry.”
Member of an eminent club in the city added, “Our installations are almost ready and will be in the final form in a few days. A large amount has already been invested as advance payments. Retrieving the plans would not only adversely affect us, but would be like snatching away the livelihood of the people associated with us.”
According to a senior member of the Puja organisers’ body, Forum for Durgotsav,’ calling off the biggest festival in West Bengal would mean collapsing the industry that is witnessing a turnover of over Rs 1.5 lakh crore playing a crucial role in the state GDP. “We stand in solidarity with the demand for justice and would appeal for the harshest possible punishment for the accused,” said the senior member of the Forum. However, boycotting the Puja at this stage would cripple the livelihood of the poor people who are a significant part and wait for the entire year to be able to make some earnings.
Notably, some organisers have returned the amount of Rs 85,000 given by the state government in the backdrop of the shocking R G Kar incident. A demand to refuse the amount is also gaining traction over social media. Talking about the issue, a Forum member said, “There are over 4,700 Durga Puja clubs in the city. Of the total, around 250 of them are large scale. Apart from this, a large number of Pujas are smaller ones with a modest budget. In such circumstances, the amount is significant for them. Refusing the amount would make them struggle to execute the puja in the planned manner.”
Talking over the issue, several citizens in the city said, “Durga Puja is economically important not only for the clubs but also for the ordinary citizens. It brings business to markets and traders of all sizes. Even the poorest of citizens, depending on daily sales, make good earnings during this time and wait for it the entire year. Boycotting or cutting short the scale would mean stripping off the earnings of the ordinary citizens.”