KOLKATA: Continuing protests over the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata have dampened Durga puja spirits, taking a toll on festival-related business.
Sources in Durga puja committees said that every year around Rs 38 crore business is generated during the pujas but this year it would drastically dip as the scale of celebrations remains low.
Four months before pujas, the celebrations start and people splurge on footwear, garments, jewellery and other essential items. After the RG Kar incident, Kolkata’s major shopping hubs — from Gariahat in south to Shyambazar in the north — have almost worn a deserted look so far, reflecting the current mood.
Puja organisers are divided over the celebrations in view of public sentiment. “People are showing no enthusiasm towards Durga puja festivities this time. No person at our organisation is bothered about how Puja preparations are going. We are waiting for justice for the victim and stringent punishment for the people involved in the crime. So, we have cut down our budget substantially,” said Debasish Bhattacharjee, executive committee member of Kumartuli Sarbojanin Durgotsav in North Kolkata.
Over 2,700 community pujas are held in Kolkata and its suburbs each year. Some puja organisers say scaling down celebrations will result in financial loss. “We are fully supporting the protesters. We want severe punishment for the perpetrators. But Durga puja is not only a festival, it has become a big industry which provides livelihood to lakhs of people,” said Saswata Basu, general secretary of Forum For Durgotsab.
“Moreover, big community puja organisers start planning for the pandals and idols from the beginning of the year. So, it would be difficult for them to hold back planned expenditures,” Basu added.
Vivek Paul, a footwear seller at Gariahat, said “My sales are down by 75 per cent this year. The people who have committed the crime are criminals, but we are suffering because of them.”
Rahim Sheikh, 39, who sells junk jewellery at Gariahat market, agrees.“This year I am not getting customers. Sales have declined by 50 per cent compared to last year,” he said.