Need for reducing Durga Puja expenditures during this year in Tripura vis-a vis the overall significance of Durga Puja: A discourse
Sanjoy Roy
September 25, 2024, 12:50:59
Very recently, the Chief Minister( CM) of Tripura having witnessed the sufferings of flood-ridden people, had asked the clubs, different organizations and the social organizations involved in the conduct of Durga Puja to reduce the budget for festivities this year and urged them to help the flood victims. The statement indirectly also indicates not pressurizing the common people in general for any kind of Durga Puja -subscription or donation and the flood affected victims in particular. He appealed and requested the club organizers not to perform the puja pompously and not to spend or exhibit anything lavish involving a huge involvement of fund as the conditions of a section of people who had lost almost everything related to livelihood including the dwelling houses shattered by the flood, are really precarious warranting adequate help and assistances. This is the time of restraint and an opportunity of standing by the people and showing solidarity by avoiding the bizarre ostentatious expenditures on eye-catching lights, attractive robust pandels and amazing idols etc. Although the government of Tripura has been trying its best to assist the flood victims, the CM also requested the clubs and other social organizations to contribute a part of their collected amount towards the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people either through the government or by themselves directly. Following the call and request of the Chief Minister, the different organizations of the ruling party including some ministers and ex-MP of West Tripura made a public call to all for restricting the puja expenditures to a minimum level and contributing a portion of their collections for the help and assistances of flood ravaged people. The call and appeals of Chief Minister and other ministers and the organizations of ruling party are no doubt humane, worth-mentioning and praiseworthy.
But the question arises whether the call and appeal of the Honourable Chief Minister and his other colleagues would matter most or not. Would all the clubs or majority of clubs follow the verbal requests of ministers or not or is it a simply an administrative exercise of the CM imbibed by self-spirited consciousness or accountability having seen the dilapidated and poor conditions of people affected by flood or is it really a political call endorsed by the ruling party itself to stand by the heartbroken people aimed at exploiting the political gains, sidelining the opposition criticisms and other reasons? Given the size of the economic losses staggered and estimated at Rs 18000 crore rising from the initial claim of Rs 5000 crore to Rs 15000 crores , it is a fait accompli that the state economy is in crisis and it can hardly provide commensurate level of compensations to the affected people from the state resources unless the central assistance arrives profusely. But the present situation does not indicate that the state would get a huge amount as relief given the nature of disasters / floods taken in various parts of the country. Thus getting any hefty amount from central government as assistances or grant equal to the losses shown or claimed by the state government is a distant reality. Thus the challenges of flood resulting in the requirement of voluminous fund and restoring the status quo would be a difficult task.
Meanwhile the Durga Puja and other admired festivals coincided with the timing of unexpected flood. Festival period in Tripura basically starts from the mid - September and people wait for this period to welcome Maa Durga and others with a lot of plans and preparedness for this one month festival period. People save a portion of earnings to spend merrily during this period according to their choices, status, family traditions and cultures. So is the case for various organizations, communities etc. In Tripura, Durga Puja is organized cheerfully in almost of all localities of Tripura wherever human habitations have grown up with people from different sections participating and making joy and fun for four days in groups. Business houses, shop keepers across all sections like hosiery, garments, jewelry, cosmetics, artisans, contractors, decorators, ceramist (making clay idols), bamboo suppliers, hardware sellers, and food and fruit sellers remain prepared for business during this period and they would never love to miss the occasion as it is related to the interests of livelihood. People involved in business remain ready with extra plans, additional funds and working capitals to boost their sales and earn some moneys. All sections of people except those earning fixed amount like salary recipients, look forward to earn something extra during this period. Durga puja is source of earning and an important livelihood to many people. With the stride of rapid urbanization taken place in Agartala city, the avenues of earning money during durga puja have gone up. Even the women from the hills and villages come to the city with hand-made traditional sweets, foods etc. and sell these to the people at ease with moderate prices and return home easily. Almost everything gets sold in Agartala city during durga puja at prices that can hardly be expected in any place of the state. Financial activity during the Puja season is now more vital and high to the state than ever before. It also plays a great significance in the livelihood of certain sections of people like the Kumors(clay idol making people), the Dhakis, Priests, and other small home crafts. It is assumed that these sections would come under existential crisis if Durga puja becomes smaller or loses its glint. Thus postponing or reducing the spree of puja or the quantum of expenditures would directly or indirectly impact the income earning sources of flood ravaged people as well.
In short, it may be mentioned that the multiplier effects of one Rupee spent during this period are immense. The puja pandels remain busy for four days with the euphoria of joy flowing across the people. Thus asking people or making an appeal for downsizing this cultural and religious fervour with reduced spree of expenditures would indirectly hinder the growth of multiplier effects, impair the income generation process and deliver reduced employment, which ultimately would mean opposite. With a view to understanding the economic impact of Durga Puja, a research study was conducted in West Bengal in 2019 by Queen Mary University of London and supported by IIT Kharagpur, two of the finest education institutions in our two countries. The report estimated the economic worth of the creative industries around Durga Puja in West Bengal at Rs 32,377 crore (GBP 3.29 billion, USD 4.53 billion), being the size of the economy of many smaller countries across the world. Durga Puja accounted for 2.58% of the state GDP and was just a weeklong festival. The above data substantiates the kind and size of impact, the Durga Puja carries. Yes the economic worth of Durga Puja in Tripura may not be as like as West Bengal, being Tripura is smaller in area with slender population but relative importance would be no mean or lean. As the information of any formal study conducted in Tripura is not known to the author, it could not be placed. But the qualitative feedback speaks of its voluminous impact. This is the time when many government and non-government employees, as well as labourers, do their festive shopping. Retail is widely understood to be the primary driving force behind financial activity during the Puja season, contributing to a chunk of the total business. In Tripura, Durga Puja is social, cultural and not adequately religious. The festival brings together diverse communities in the process, fosters a financial ecosystem that involves transactions of significant amount across the state vindicating the measurable evidences of the impacts on art, culture and business etc.
Secondly the different clubs and social organization that are generally used to organize big budget pujas had already planned and done the basic preliminaries including the award of contract in respect of making the pandels, lighting and clay idols and decoration etc to various parties much before the emergence of flood based on their assured sources of revenues. Collection of fund by the organizations of big budgeted pujas is not dependent on the fund from the collections of subscriptions and donations from common individuals only , rather they raise fund through different sources from business houses through advertisement , sponsorship, mutually beneficial contracts and from such persons who hardly are impacted by the flood and thus the collections of subscription or donations of big puja organizing party would hardly be affected except some minor variations. People in general, although are sympathetic to the sufferings of flood victims, many people may not be willing to abort their ecstasy, enjoyment and funs during this period. People in general are found to argue for big pujas in many clubs and almost all clubs organizing durga puja spend more than the budgeted estimate, almost in every year as the opinions of many puja organizers reveal. Thus it is a conjecture that adequate number of attractive pujas alike yesteryears would take place; there would be no fewer worshippers or visitors to the pandels in Agartala city and suburban areas as the economy demands it to happen. People would spend as best as they can, even a section may do it by affording loan and taking credit because the joy of Durga puja stands tall in the mindset of common people in Tripura and remains unblemished as it is the tradition and demand of people from the beneath of their hearts. Yes some puja may not take place in some areas where the damages are intense and severe and this scenario may prevail in the villages mostly.
Does this mean that the appeal of CM would not make any impact on the Durga puja organizers and the overall puja scenario in the state? The author, who attended one meeting of different clubs established in the South Agartala, could understand that some puja celebrating clubs would restrict themselves from the misuse of expenditures with no appreciable cut in the budgets earmarked for idol, decoration, pandels and some essential expenditure needed for completing the puja as per rituals and other norms. Many clubs have expressed their willingness to save some amount from their collections and would try their best to use such amount for the benefit of flood victims either through a contribution to the CM relief fund or the way they think fit. The Puja committees in principle have decided not to increase the puja subscription for this year and some puja committees are also in favour of not asking for any subscription or donation from the people who suffered maximum during this flood establishing some kind of balance between extravagant expenditures of durga puja in this year keeping in view the long-standing socio-economic and cultural heritage of the state and tottering plights of flood victims so that some helps and assistances may reach the sufferers to boost their morale and livelihood . Thus it may be ascribed that the call or appeal of CM is justified and it could draw the attention of many clubs, motivate many clubs to contribute something to the CM Relief Fund and this is might be greatest achievement besides transmitting the message of the ruling party -- ‘Sab ka Sath’,’ Sab Ka Vikas’, ‘Sab ka Prayas’ as well as establishing the model of good governance and accountability of government towards the people.
(Tripurainfo)