Dangerous directions

October 14, 2021 13:36

The five days of Durga Puja in West Bengal constitute one of the largest street carnivals in the world.

It is undeniably a Hindu religious and cultural festival symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, the invocation of shakti, and even the homecoming of the daughter and her children.

Over the centuries, it has evolved from being a family event to a community celebration involving people of all faiths -- in line with the way the Christmas season (as opposed to Christmas Day) has evolved in the West.

Predictably, it has also acquired a huge commercial dimension, in the same way as Diwali in northern India. This has been accompanied, particularly in the past decade, by over-politicization and the sites of worship being converted into avenues of political propaganda.

BJP's Swapan Dasgupta holds forth. Read the column here.

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