Our Puja

We have at last started Durga Puja 2.0 under fear of Pandemic. Last year was its first version. It is unthinkable that Puja will come and all will be home bound. Most importantly we will not meet our near and dear one and will not have “Adda” which is the biggest addiction post-colonial regime Bengali has developed. Often this “Adda” is blamed to be value destroyer. We will come to that later, but before that Maa Durga’s arrival every year brings in lot many blessings. We often clear and clean our rooms before Puja and while doing so we suddenly found out from a small corner Box or a long uncleaned loft, one of our long lost Book, may be presented in one of our adolescent birthday, or may be “The fountain Pen”, rusted out, presented when we cleared our fast public examination or the old Philately Book with torn out stamps and pages. Our feeble fingers run over it and feel “Maa” is coming.?Suddenly the hugely transaction oriented, continuously connected, ready to serve, highly motivated, all ways correct, “I told you” mind fades away to an obscure realisation that time takes away “Present Value” and gives back price less “Immortal Memory”. A real makeover. A sudden call from one of our long lost friend, at our still continuing land line with a tension in mind tells us “Maa” has come. With that we also discover the sound of land line remains so silent now a day in front of modern synthetic sound prone mobile, reminds us silent Father retired in his corner, lost in his world, when contemporaries are sounding what is all about under “Changed Management”. I think we Bengalis are blessed to have a “Reminder” with arrival of Puja, that this menacing Pandemic will be lost too in heavily discounted Present Value and become priceless memory.

Durga Puja is not only a social pot boiler, it is indeed an economic multiplier. ?The report published by The Hindu on 9th October, 2021 gives full narratives of economic value creation of Durga Puja of pre covid period. Economic worth of creative activity and allied transactions contribute 2.58% of West Bengal’s GDP, amounting Rs. 32377 Crs. The retail transactions contribute around Rs. 27000 Crs – 85% of total volume. Food and beverages bring in Rs. 2800 Crs , nearly 9%. Another interesting feature is Publishing and literature businesses, which clocks around Rs. 260-270 Crs operation, nearly 1% of total volume. We do not have any study of Covid on this yet, however my feel is it should be discounted by minimum 25-30% considering current situation. ?I would however love to be proven wrong here.

In this mid of sudden joy and melancholy a friend of mine, reminds me that huge number of hawkers who used to sale many items in the local trains had lost their lively hood since local trains are not running regularly. The daily commuters in Kolkata know, hawkers are inseparable part of daily commuters. My friend and his colleagues had organized some camps for support, but will that be enough? We will never know. During this time of festivity, it also comes up vividly how fragile is total environment eco system and in that how insignificant we all are! ?

While I am finishing this write up I get a text message from my college friend Liaquat, for “Sarodia Suvechyya”. This is Bengal’s Durga Puja. We may not be doing great on Business , we are often criticised as “ Adda Baj” but we never loose touch of human mind, which is not limited by any human imposed social attributes

I wish all of you my Puja Greetings !!! ???