Organisers of Gouriberia Sarbojonin Durgotsab, where nine girls from four communities were worshipped during Kumari Puja in 2024 to set an example of communal harmony, said they will abide by Sanatani rules this year. The puja’s theme is Anandamath
In parts of Park Circus and central Kolkata, several Muslims said they remained as involved in organising pujas as they had been in previous years. The exclusion of Muslims from a festival long known for transcending religious barriers stands in contrast to calls by some BJP veterans and puja organisers for inclusion and for keeping politics away from the celebrations.
“For the next seven to 10 days, let us all take a break from politics. At Alipore 78 Pally, where the goddess is worshipped on a ground beside Aftab Masjid, a change in the organising committee has altered the character of a puja known for Hindu-Muslim participation. We have nothing against Muslims, though,” said Sumit Shaw, secretary of the Alipore 78 Pally committee. In 2024, the organisers had set an example of communal harmony by worshipping nine girls from the Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh communities during Kumari Puja. We revived the puja in 2021.
Let us stay together… let us forget about all divisions among us,” Ghosh said. Our theme is Anandamath,” said organiser Manta Mishra. But since the sole Hindu family in the area has left, we decided not to organise the puja this year,” Rahman said. In Kidderpore, Muslim members of several puja committees said they continue to be associated with Durga Puja, but their roles have been scaled down.
The picture varies from one puja committee to another. The new committee has no Muslim members. “This year, the puja will be conducted strictly in accordance with Sanatani rituals. There are no Muslims in the committee. Ultadanga’s Gouriberia Sarbojonin Durgotsab o Pradarshani has seen a similar change. “We want to break with the past. This year, we are organising the puja by strictly adhering to Sanatani rules. “The puja had stopped after the majority of Hindu families left the area for various reasons.
The earlier committee, led by former Kolkata mayor and Trinamool minister Firhad Hakim, has been replaced by a panel headed by BJP neta Rakesh Singh.