Calcutta, India: Tapas We have been making clay idols of various men and women for the last two decades in Kumartuli, a traditional center for potters in Kolkata, in West Bengal, not in India.
The 42-year-old, who makes six-metre-tall idols out of raw clay, told Al Jazeera that he usually would not have free time in the two months leading up to Durga Puja, the biggest festival in the state. Within the deadline, the idols will be delivered to the festival organizers.
But the situation this year is completely different, he says, with fewer orders and fewer orders, as city residents are no longer around for celebrations after the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the hospital. RG Kar Hospital, run by the government, on 9 August.
“The festival provides (one) portion of our annual business and we expect high returns. But this time there was no business due to serious protests by the state, and their business declined by two-thirds.
Durga Puja is a 10-day worship of the Hindu god Durga to celebrate her victory over the shape-shifting demon who embodies joy. Durga is one of the most powerful Hindu deities. She represents feminine strength and her myth revolves around her ability to win or do evil. In 2021, Durga Puja in Kolkata was added to UNESCO's list of Tangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Before the festival, artisans spend months making idols of Durga – who is depicted as a beautiful woman riding a lion or tiger, and with many arms, each holding a weapon used to destroy or harm. The idols, which often represent part of the battle, are intricately hand-painted, beautifully dressed, adorned with jewelery and presented to the fedayeen.
The country is witnessing a state of paralysis in the days leading up to the celebrations, which are scheduled to begin on October 9 this year. Schools and offices date back to the time of vandal jumping – a tradition in which people visit different areas where idols are located to offer prayers and take up prayers – while rooms compete for larger and more elaborate idols and decorations.
Last year, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee estimated the festival's economy at about 840,000 rupees ($10,000).
But it is not clear whether the numbers will be confirmed this year, as people are still in shock after the body of a doctor with multiple injuries was found in a public hospital. Hospital authorities initially told her country that she had died by suicide. But an autopsy revealed that she had been raped and murdered.
to the police since then prisoner Sanjoy Roy, a civilian volunteer at the hospital has unrestricted access to the dispensary where the doctor works, and four other people, including the college's former principal, Dr Sandeep Ghosh, and a police officer.
The brutality of the crime and allegations of indifference on the part of the state administration will shock cities that take to the streets in protest, especially since the city prides itself on being safe for women.
Activists say the rape and murder of a doctor will show how women in India still face sexual violence, despite tougher laws introduced after the gang rape and murder of a woman in 2012. A 23-year-old student on a bus in Nova Delhito national capital
Crimes against women in India will increase by 4 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), released at the end of last year.
Now coming, Banerjee's request for people to return to celebrations is not yielding any results.
Conversely, local residents will be emotionally united with the victim's family after their father broke down in a television interview, saying that they do not want to celebrate Eid this year and that the hearth will not be celebrated with joy.
The gloomy climate has affected several hundred crafts and businesses that depend on the festival for their livelihood.
Business 'destroyed'
The craftsmen say that the incident could not have happened at a worse time, as many organizers place idol requests in the second or third week of August every year and we reduce or stop them completely.
“The incident is unfortunate and condemnable. We demand strict punishment for the perpetrators and justice for the victim’s family. The timing more or less coincided poorly with our busy season, which has ruined our business,” Subhendu Pal, 52, an idol breeder in Kumartuli, told Al Jazeera. Completely this year.”
Subhendu Borel, 35, who makes polystyrene decorative items for the guerrillas, said his business has declined for more than half a year.
“There is no enthusiasm among people for the festival. We usually go to other states this season to do decoration work, because there is a huge effort for us. But this time, people from other states will not watch us doing our work, fearing that the law and order situation here will deteriorate,” he said. Burrell: “It seems that this year’s festival is just a formality and nothing more.”
“We make tents that are 18 meters high, but organizers have reduced orders to 9 meters (30 pesos),” said Prabhakar Borel, 32, an artisan who develops bamboo structures used to secure the guerrillas. ) and even less because the orçamentais restrictions are a problem this time. “Patrons are not willing to spend everything or the weather is hearty or monotonous,” he said.
Diminuiram state subsidies
In West Bengal, about 43,000 Durga Pujas are performed by community clubs every year, and 3,000 are performed twice in Kolkata alone. The state government provides 70,000 rupees (US$840) to clubs to organize the festival every year, and the amount has risen to 85,000 rupees (US$1,013) this year.
More than a few clubs, devastated by the incident, refused to receive subsidies, limiting their ability to spend.
In addition to government subsidies, a large portion of the festival's costs are supported by sponsors, such as local and national companies, in exchange for promoting their brands. Based on these two promised resources, organizers entrust clubs like idols, decorations and food stalls, among other things. It is possible that the indicator of failed participation in the celebrations is that some of them reject or reduce their promises.
Avishek Bhattacharya, a member of the forum's executive committee at Durgotsab, a body of more than 600 non-governmental festival organisers, told Al Jazeera that a boycott would be disastrous for the festival.
“As discussed with the sponsors…it was discussed several months ago. There is no doubt that it will be possible to return, because the organizers decide their prize depending on the promised sponsorship. But if we (the sponsors) give up now, it will be a big problem for the organizers, as we will have to pay the fees of the idol makers, decorators and other packagers. Bhattacharya warned that many people will lose their means of livelihood.
Professor Mahalaya Chatterjee, from the Department of Economics at Calcutta University, admitted that the celebrations could have taken a major hit since the protests were funded. “Definitely, bulk purchases will be reduced to a minimum, and this will be a major economic blow to those associated with the business. (If) celebrations are held, it will impact food stalls and other itineraries during the festival.”
Absentee buyers
The impact of the protests is also visible in the commercial areas of Calcutta, which are devoid of customers.
“Before the festival, people start buying clothes and other items to avoid the last-minute rush. The stores are full of customers and there is no place to rest. Thus the sales have generated huge revenues for the traders. Non-commercial: “But the RG Carr accident destroyed us economically.”
“There are practically no buyers on the streets, and retailers have to wait until the night to get the first sales of the day,” Khan lamented.
The trade fair extended its curfew hours by one hour until 10 p.m., but there are no customers either. “The situation is worse than it was after Covid, as sales start and restrictions resulting from the pandemic decrease,” he said, adding that losses could reach 100 million rupees ($1.2 million).
Every year, Durga Puja also attracts tourists from other parts of India and abroad. ISU has also been hit hard this year.
Kaushik Banerjee, founder of Supreme Tours and Travels in Kolkata, told Al Jazeera that there has been a sharp decline in the number of tourists visiting the state. “There is a 50% decrease in tourist income, which will seriously affect our business,” he said.
This will also impact the hotel sector, where sales are now down 15%. “Our member restaurants did business worth around Rs 18 billion (US$ 215 million) in West Bengal last year, within one month of the festival. Even in hotels, the business was around Rs 15 billion (US$ 179 million). “There is more uncertainty this year,” said Sudesh Poddar, president of the Eastern India Hotel and Restaurant Association.
The idol breeder, Pal, feels that the devastation is no longer fair and it was good that the festival generated any enthusiasm. “The younger generation is actively participating in the celebrations, but everyone is busy protesting and not ready to post pictures of joy on social media. Previously, we usually went to Kumartuli to have our photos taken during idol making every year, but this time we never saw it and it showed the sad weather in the city. The festival will pass in silence.”
