From earning members, to puja committees, district authorities, police, business establishments, owners, employees and many others are all under some or other stress during Durga Puja every year
Weddings in Guwahati are now big events for many families, with destination weddings to DJs livening up the sangeet ceremony to spending lakhs and even crores. These are becoming a status symbol and many parents take huge amount of pressure to organise the weddings of their children. It’s not only financial pressure but also logistic, mental and physical pressure to organise a wedding. Similarly, the Durga Puja festivities are also an event in the city which puts various “pressures” on the denizens of the city. From the breadwinner to business owners, societies of apartments to puja committees, district administration, police, government and so on, the pressure is acute on everybody.
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A prominent priest of Guwahati, Dulal Chakrabarty, talking to GPlus said, “Durga Puja these days are no more manushik (from heart) but it is more tamoshik (show-off),” adding that people’s devotion towards the Goddess is less and they are more devoted towards showing off. He said because the show-off trend is increasing people are more under pressure, if only devotion was pure the pressure would have been less. He explained that lakhs are spent on decoration of pandals, organising functions, which could include even fashion shows, and inviting celebrities. But where do the committees get all the money, he questioned.
An earning member of a family and a resident of an apartment in Guwahati talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, “Durga Puja comes like a double-edged sword to me every year with uncontrolled inflation and no hike in salary since the past three years,” adding that while meeting demands of all family members, the demand of the society also has to be met.
Another resident of an apartment where Durga Puja is celebrated said that every year every members of the society are asked for a particular amount of money as donation for organising the Puja. “If anyone declines to pay the amount owing to difficult financial situation, the person is somehow looked down upon,” said the resident adding that all may not have money all the time. He said that huge amount of money is spent on decoration, functions and food every Durga Puja.
It needs to be mentioned that the city commissioner of police recently issued new guidelines to ensure safety and public order during the upcoming Durga Puja festivities. One of the key directives from the advisory prohibits forceful collection of donations, declaring such actions illegal. Organisers are urged to respect the law and ensure that contributions are made voluntarily and not under pressure.
A resident of Jyotikuchi, who has a shop, talking to GPlus said, “Though forceful donations are illegal, to live in a society the demands of the society have to be met and no one complains about it,” adding that every year the puja committees set a particular amount for every household and commercial establishment, and if anyone refuses, he/she is “differently” dealt with.
The government also takes pressure for the denizens. To support the grand celebrations of Durga Puja, the Assam government is likely to provide ₹10,000 to each Durga Puja committee in Guwahati. This financial aid will be distributed through the city’s ward councillors, with preparations already underway. This year there are around 450 registered Puja pandals till now in Guwahati.
The police and the district administration take extra stress to deploy extra forces for the safety of the people. All puja pandals are under the scanner and police officials are always on a vigil. Managing the traffic is a major stress for the city traffic police with many no entry zones and new routes because of the various ongoing construction.
The Public Works Department (PWD) is under tremendous pressure as it is instructed to repair all the city roads before the Durga Puja. After the rain lashed the city on October 3 a senior PWD official talking to GPlus said, “The rain has played a spoilsport for us as many works across Guwahati are stalled because of it,” adding that they are worried whether they can meet the deadline to repair the roads before Puja.
Other than these, the business owners are also under pressure. A garment shop owner at Lal Ganesh talking to GPlus said, “Last year I incurred a loss of Rs. 5 lakh because many cloths purchased for selling during Durga Puja were not sold,” adding that business becomes a gamble during Durga Puja as some years there is huge profit but in some years there are losses too. He said that because of online shopping the offline shops do not earn so much these days.
Getting a place for putting up stalls near a Puja pandal is also a tension for many because the more one pays to the committee, the easier it is to book the space. Small vendors even take loans to pay advance for booking the space, said a vendor in Pandu area.
Another concern, which might not be exactly a stress, is what to wear?
A resident of Silpukhri talking to GPlus said, “My wife requires 8 dresses for the Durga Pujas, 2 dresses per day,” adding that he is happy that this year Durga Puja will be celebrated for three days. He also said that the make-up for every day is different and it takes a huge toll on his pocket.
A working lady said that every Durga Puja her family expects her to take them out of the town on a holiday and it is a pressure for her, not financially, but because she hardly gets leave.
The owners of many business establishments have the pressure of disbursing salaries before the Pujas and many also pay bonus to the employees. The children want the best of toys, which are better than their friends’. The elderly parents are upset if their children do not take out time to take them to the puja pandals to partake of prasad.
Though there is much stress and pressure, every year Durga Puja is celebrated with much joy and gaiety in Guwahati.