Jai Durga!

Though the Bengali left leaders avoided visiting temples, their wives dutifully visited and prayed openly. No one disturbed anyone worshipping any God or preferring to remaining an atheist.

In the industry-stagnant state of West Bengal, the Durga puja has assumed significance as a booster of the economy. Over the years, the religious festival has transformed into a cultural extravaganza, resplendent with a tableaux parade. Three puja committees are making idols of CM Mamata as Goddess Durga for the ensuing pujas. They are doing this as gratitude shown to Didi for her welfare schemes to her people. Simultaneously, a CBI investigation is on in the state on the post-poll violence that had left several dead.

If Mamata is modelled as Durga, it requires little imagination of who the demon or demons could be. Mamata has earlier too appeared with several arms like Durga in a Nadia puja. None of the intellectuals, glitterati or literati has spoken against the conversion of Didi as Ma in puja pandals funded by the government.

Politician worship is not new in our country as temples exist for CM Narendra Modi in Pune, Aundh and Trichy. A temple for Khushboo, a living Tamil politician in the wilderness, was demolished after her controversial statements on pre-marital sex. A temple for Jayalalithaa and MGR was inaugurated in Madurai by their party’s sycophant CM and Dy. CM. NTR’s family were planning to build a temple in 2007 for the departed leader NTR, a former CM of Andhra Pradesh. I do not know its fate. Madame Tussaud has exhibited life-like statues of many world leaders, including Modi, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi.

Mayawati could have been the only leader who burned more than Rs.3000 crores in building her statues everywhere until the court stopped the circus. Mayawati may have deified her due to apparent and intense suffering from her caste and related trauma.

West Bengal was way above several other states in terms of political maturity. Converting a religious festival into a political one-upmanship of ‘khela Hobe’ is not tasteful at all.  The dhimmitude of her worshippers and the party men’s chutzpah cannot go any lower.

I am sure hordes of Didi’s supporters will dance in pure ecstasy in a ‘dhunuchi’ dance if the artisan completes the idol with a matching demon of all know who. Statues and idols are erected as a tribute for the relentless services rendered by noble persons, usually after their demise. Exceptions to the rule in Bengal could be Netaji, Vivekananda and Tagore, a fourth now competing to enter the top three slot.

All political leaders must try and discourage their idolatry worship by their fans.  After a brief passage of time, the statues only help address nature’s call of the crows!

I recall the famous words of Jean Sibelius: “Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has never been a  statue erected to a critic.”

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix