The horrific rape and murder of a trainee female doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 have reverberated across the country, sparking widespread protests and prompting intense scrutiny of the West Bengal Government and state police’s response. This tragic incident has also overshadowed this year’s Durga Puja celebrations, with several Puja committees participating in protests against the heinous crime.
In a notable display of solidarity amid the ongoing protests over the incident, many Durga Puja organisers have opted to reject the annual festival grants from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government. On July 23, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an increase in the honorarium for community Durga Puja, raising it from Rs 70,000 to Rs 85,000 per committee. However, in response to the recent tragedy, numerous committees have decided to forgo the grant as a means to demand justice for the rape and murder victim.
One of the first Puja committees to decline the Government grant was Uttarpara Shakti Sangha, based in Uttarpara, Hooghly district. The committee’s secretary, Prosenjit Ghosh, clarified that their decision was not influenced by or intended to support any political organisation. “We cannot accept the grant until the perpetrators are apprehended and appropriately punished. This is our way of taking social responsibility and demanding justice for the victim,” Ghosh explained.
Following the lead of Uttarpara Shakti Sangha, other Durga Puja committees have also chosen to forgo the grant. These include the Highland Park Utsav Committee in South Kolkata, Apanader Durga Puja in Uttarpara Jaykrishna Street, and Bethua-Dahari Town Club in Nadia district.
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