The brutal rape and murder of a trainee female doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 has sent shockwaves across the nation, igniting state-wide protests and raising serious questions about the West Bengal government and state police's handling of the case. Now, the tragic incident has also cast a shadow over this year's Durga Puja celebrations, with several Puja committees joining in protest against the heinous crime.
Grant rejection in solidarity
In a remarkable show of solidarity, amid the onging protest over the incident, many Durga Puja organizers have decided to reject the annual festival grants provided by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. On July 23, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced an increase in the honorarium for community Durga Puja, raising it from last year’s ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 per Puja committee. However, in light of the recent events, numerous committees have chosen to forgo the grant to demand justice for the rape and murder victim.
Our way of demanding justice
One of the first Puja committees to reject the government grant is Uttarpara Shakti Sangha, located in Uttarpara, Hooghly district. According to a report in The Hindu, the committee's secretary, Prosenjit Ghosh, stated that their decision was not meant to align with or oppose any political organization. "Until the culprits are found and given appropriate punishment, we cannot accept the grant. This is our way of taking social responsibility for the issue and demanding justice for the victim," Ghosh explained.
Significantly, following the example set by Uttarpara Shakti Sangha, other Durga Puja committees, including Highland Park Utsav Committee in south Kolkata, Apanader Durga Puja in Uttarpara Jaykrishna Street, and Bethua-Dahari Town Club in Nadia district also followed suit.
