In troubled season, discretion better part of publicity for puja organisers
Times of India | 1 September 2024
Kolkata: For Durga Puja organisers, discretion is better than all-out activity.
Durga Puja is a little over five weeks away, but a majority of organisers are holding back publicising their plans and keeping preparations “low key” as the “mood is not right now”.
Many committee members said they too were a part of the society and equally angered and shocked which is why the excitement during the build up to the festival was not palpable yet.
Most committees start finalising the plans at least six to seven months in advance and have been caught off guard with the developments.
Organisers said the mood of the city was that of “shock and anger” after the rape and murder of the PGT doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug 9 after which there have been several angry protests in the city.
“Puja organisers, their families and those who work to make Durga Puja grand are also part of the society and are feeling the same anger and grief like any other citizen over the rape and murder of the PGT doctor. This is the reason the enthusiasm during the build-up to the festival is not palpable,” said Sanjay Majumdar, president of the Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin adding, “We are keeping a watch on the situation.”
Several puja organisers start releasing their teaser campaigns six to seven weeks ahead of the festival followed by social media promotions and activities with their brand ambassadors.
A puja committee in north Kolkata had started its teaser campaign by putting up posters at various places in the city. “We have kept it on hold for the time being as the mood is not very festive right now. We will review our plans at the beginning of next week,” said the Durga Puja committee secretary.
There were also attempts to link Durga Puja with the “horrific incident” and calling for the boycott of the festival online which is why puja committees are scared of being trolled online and spark the boycott campaign.
A puja committee in south Kolkata that has signed a Tollywood actor as their brand ambassador was scheduled to release teaser campaigns by middle of Aug and “reveal the celebrity” in the first week of Sep. “We are currently holding back our plans. We were in talks with various media outlets to book slots and start an online teaser campaign but the mood is not right. We also don’t want to invite social media trolling,” said the secretary of the puja committee.
Forum for Durgostsab, an association of Durga Puja organisers, had issued a written appeal expressing shock and grief over the incident,demanding a probe and punishment of the guilty through due judicial process and had also requested that Durga Puja should not be linked to it and “a section of people calling for boycott” should refrain from doing it.
“We are demanding that the culprits be brought to book so that nobody dares to repeat such a heinous act again,” said Saswata Basu, general secretary of Forum for Durgotsab. “But it will be unfair to link it with Durga Puja. It not only contributes to the state’s GDP but also supports the livelihoods of millions of people directly and indirectly,” said Basu.