Calcutta HC rejects bar on Durga Puja immersion; slams state for 'minority appeasement'

The state government had told that pujas that don't immerse the idol by 6 pm on October 11 have to immerse on October 13.

KOLKATA: Accusing the state government of practicing minority appeasement 'at the cost of majority', the Calcutta High Court has struck down the Mamata Banerjee government's order of Durga idol immersion after Moharram procession date.

"There has been a clear endeavour on the part of the State government to pamper and appease the minority section of the public at the cost of the majority section without there being any plausible justification," the High Court order by Justice Dipankar Gupta stated in a judgement on October 6.

The order also said that Bijoy Dashami is a ritual for 'puritan Hindus' that can’t be 'postponed to a day beyond Bijoy Dashami, or preponed' at the whims of the state government.

Bijoya Dashami this year is on October 11. Muharram is in the day after Bijoya Dashami. The state government had told that pujas that don't immerse the idol by 6 pm on October 11 have to immerse on
October 13.

The court was hearing three separate PILs by Durga Pujas conducted by households. Hence, the order will be applicable to household and apartment pujas and not the community ones.

The state government has reasoned 'law and order' problems of both immersion and 'tazia' (muharram processions) come out simultaneously. The court stated that tazias are not an inseparable part of
Muharram and even said that Muharram is not the most important festival of Muslims.