Durga Puja committees reject govt grants for Mamata festival in protest over Kolkata rape and murder case – India TV

The brutal rape and murder of a female intern at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9 sent shockwaves across the country, sparking protests across the state and raising serious questions about the way the West Bengal government and the state police handled the matter. Now, the tragic incident has cast a pall over this year’s Durga Puja celebrations, with several Puja committees joining the protest against the heinous crime.

Rejection of solidarity subsidies

In an unusual gesture of solidarity, amid ongoing protests against the incident, many Durga Puja organisers have decided to reject the annual festival grants given by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. On July 23, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an increase in the Durga Puja community’s honorarium, raising it from last year’s ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 for the Puja committee. However, in light of recent events, many committees have decided 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, said their decision was not meant to support or oppose any political organisation. “Until the culprits are found and punished, we cannot accept the grant. This is our way of taking social responsibility for the problem and demanding justice for the victim,” Ghosh explained.

Significantly, other Durga Puja committees, including the Highland Park Utsav Committee in south Kolkata, the Apanader Durga Puja on Uttarpara Jaykrishna Road and the Bethua-Dahari Town Club in Nadia district, have followed Uttarpara Shakti Sangha’s example.