Many Durga Puja organisers of Bengal seem to have given a tweak to the Puja Themes against the backdrop of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case --- with quite a few selecting "women empowerment" and the proverbial "Spine" in order to ideate a message of erectness to the Babus and the Police hammering home the message of constitutional obligations so to say.
Take for instance 'Chakravyuh' a Theme created by Railpukur United Club, Baguiati, which portrays the lifelong struggles faced by women from the mythological past till the present days showing myriad stories of exploitation, humiliation, objectification. They have taken up Draupadi's humiliation in Mahabharat to hammer home their point.
Though most organizers would evade posers on a link between their Theme and RGKMCH some in private concede "it is for the public to decipher" the poetic gobbledygook.
With their Theme Ritumati the organizers of Pathuria Ghata Pancher Palli Durga Puja Committee in North Kolkata have decided to sensitize the women --- nay the society --- at large about menstruation and associated restrictions in the forbidden realm of religion. Ritumati means a menstruating woman.
"We have portrayed various stages of a woman's cycle... that is a taboo … but in reality it is not … it is just a biological process," said Upasana the Theme artist while local Councilor Ellora said that they selected a woman artist and the woman centric Theme "with a view to empower women." She however iterated that there was no connection with RG Kar and their Theme.
For the reference, at least 15 big community Pujas have employed women Theme artists this time round playing lead roles - from ideating themes and idol-making to overall pandal execution.
Cut to this all-women club of Malda in North Bengal where the entire Pujas are organized by women. "Pujas are just only one activity amongst many others that we perform throughout the year," Piyali one of the members say.
"We started this Pujas consciously keeping men out of it because there are several things that men cannot do or you can say what men can do women can do with better perfection … there was no street light in our vicinity … women were victims of eve-teasing and so many other things … but everything has been corrected and the politicians have been forced to see reasons … now it is Durga Puja that we have been doing with full marks We dress in Blue inspired by the Mother train our juniors in the art of self-defence … they won't give up easily today … Our Puja is an extension of our activity.
At Kashi Bose Lane Sarbojonin Durga Puja the organizers have portrayed Bengal's role in eradication of Sati Pratha or the system of burning the bride in funeral pyre of the husband. "Through worshipping our Mother who is our Daughter too we have remembered how Bengal played a pivotal role in fighting away Sati said an organizer.
Back to "Spine" a symbolic replica of which the agitating junior doctors last month had presented to the 'removed' Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal for his deficient performance in the investigation of the rape and murder of the postgraduate lady doctor of the Government Hospital.
At least three clubs of Kolkata and Howrah had created huge replicas of Spine to drive home a message to the powers that be before being allegedly arm-twisted by administration to deposit the fabricated spines in the dump yard of their Puja pandals.
