A directive stipulating that only followers of Sanatan Dharma will be permitted to touch idols during the immersion of Durga idols has sparked intense political controversy in West Bengal. Opposition parties have alleged that the move is an attempt to revive the practice of untouchability in the state. However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has defended the directive, asserting that it contains no communal bias and is merely intended to preserve religious traditions.
The immersion of Durga idols began in Kolkata on Wednesday and is scheduled to continue for several days. To oversee the immersion preparations, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Babughat on the banks of the Hooghly River. After reviewing the security arrangements at the site, he spoke to journalists about the protocol.
"This is a religious ritual; it is certainly a festival, but that is secondary," the Chief Minister said. "The primary objective is to uphold and maintain religious traditions properly."
The Chief Minister also issued directives to identify individuals involved in the immersion process. "I have instructed the Police Commissioner to ensure that the identities of the people who will carry the deity are verified and marked," he stated. "Only those who follow Sanatan Dharma will touch the idols. There is no communalism in this."
Concerns Over Livelihoods of Workers
For a long time, people from diverse religions and communities have worked across various puja pandals and immersion ghats in Kolkata. Particularly during the immersion of heavy idols and submerging them in the river, numerous daily wage laborers and workers are engaged in the process.
Among these individuals are impoverished Muslims, economically disadvantaged groups, and Scheduled Tribes who are paid to carry Durga and other idols. Not all of these workers belong to the Sanatan Dharma community.
