Durga Puja just weeks away, is it possible that Bengal this time is heading for another version of pujo - a more kosher, Sanatani version that would placate the purists and strip the five-day festival of much of its colour and joy? A major controversy has been stirred up by media reports that claim the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has demanded that no non-vegetarian food be allowed, especially inside puja pandals. Adding to this was a call to restrict theme-based pandals.
Amiya Sarkar, Secretary of VHP's Eastern Region, however, issued a clarification.
"For the past two to three days, some media and social media handles are spreading misinformation about this meeting. The VHP wants to make it clear that it is not against theme-based Durga puja. We did not discuss this issue during that meeting. The VHP only requested the Puja organisers that themes chosen for the Durga puja pandals not be against Indian culture, its spirituality and national morale. Religious sentiments should not be hurt," he told NDTV.
"The VHP has already made its stand clear - the VHP doesn't not want to ban veg or non-veg food habits. This was not discussed either during that meeting," he said.
"We want the area around the Durga puja pandals to be clean. Food stalls should maintain cleanliness so the wastes from those food stalls do not make the pandals dirty," he added.
What's not clear here is who decides what is against Indian religious and cultural sensitivities.
Bengal's Durga Puja is as much religious as it is social. Over the years, the celebrations have conveyed messages from the society, politics, people - adding up to a multi-hued diversity that includes politics and theme pandals have been the medium to convey the messaging.
Read: No Food Discussion, No Fatwas: VHP On Reports Of Satvik Food On Durga Puja
The new suggestions are significant because Durga Puja in Bengal has developed a very distinctive cultural character. Every year, different kinds of themes are explored around Durga. The goddess may be presented as a tribal, or a woman from a village in traditional red-bordered saree; somewhere an idol will be made of notes or coins metal or papier mache, terracotta or bamboo, or even matchsticks. These are not expressions of spirituality alone. They also are statements on art and culture. These are also about competition, with various authorities announcing yearly awards.
The big puja committees build their celebration around themes, which are often decided a year in advance. The themes could be about anything - social, political or even international events, like the war in Ukraine.
The controversy comes amid a conversation surrounding the celebration and Bengali identity. This has acquired political overtones, with former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee repeatedly claiming that the BJP is out to destroy Bengali culture.
She insisted that the party would interfere in the food habits of the people and fish became a huge election issue, with leaders of the BJP arriving with baskets of fish during the election campaign to disprove her claims. Many BJP candidates and leaders were seen publicly eating fish and other non-vegetarian dishes to prove that they were not against Bengali food habits.
Several BJP leaders argued that the campaign against them was politically motivated, underscoring their allegiance to the Bengali cultural identity and food habits. The current controversy, some say, has only proved her right.
During Mamata Banerjee's regime, Durga Puja was promoted as an important cultural activity after it was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. It needed to be promoted was her argument.
What happens next? Will there be a change in approach towards Durga Puja in Bengal?
One clear change has already taken place. During the Trinamool Congress government, many organisational leaders and ministers were closely associated with Durga Puja committees. There was Arup Biswas's Puja, Bobby Hakim's Chetla Puja and Indranil Sen's Puja. Mamata Banerjee would visit these Durga Puja celebrations on Chaturthi and Panchami and lead a full-scale inauguration ceremony.
The festivities begin from Mahalaya, with Chandi Path and other programmes.
Subhendu Adhikari had criticised Mamata Banerjee's practice of inaugurating Durga Puja during Pitru Paksha, saying that this was against Hindu tradition.
Banerjee would hold inauguration ceremonies even before Debi Paksha had begun. The big reason was the large number of clubs that queued up, demanding that she inaugurate their celebrations. District-level programmes were also organised through video conferencing.
The BJP is now stopping that. The state's finance minister Swapan Dasgupta has said it would be better if no minister or political leader become actively involved in a puja committee. Dasgupta has refused to be associated with any club in an organisational capacity, saying he would enjoy the puja the way he always does.
The Traditions
Durga Puja itself has different traditions. In many places, fish is offered as bhog. In other places, offering fish heads or other similar fare is part of the ritual.
Even the Durga Puja at Belur Math is not entirely vegetarian.
The VHP said they are aware of such traditions that are aligned to Tantric worship, but underscored that people should not eat this bhog in puja pandals.
The Hindutva philosophy that Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari is flagging is complemented by the VHP's position. The basic narrative remains the same: A Hindutva-oriented, Sanatani idea of cultural identity.
One can see this narrative in many of the things Adhikari is doing. He is visiting temples - starting with Tarapith and extending to other religious sites. He is connecting the Rakhi festival with Hindu and Vaishnava traditions. At the book fair, the 150th birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee is being highlighted. Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are being involved in different activities.
This way, the Sanatani Hindu philosophy is being pitched as a counter-narrative to the Nehruvian model. The BJP's argument is that the Nehruvian model was too Westernised and that India's own traditions were pushed aside.
From Tilak's nationalism to the Hindu nationalism associated with Rajendra Prasad, and from the dhoti-clad, shikha-wearing people in Maharashtra and Gujarat who perhaps followed a life of celibacy to the traditional Sanskrit-learning culture of the tols in Banaras - there was a world that, according to the BJP narrative, was looked down upon and treated as backwards.
So the effort now is to revive that sense of Hindu pride and establish this narrative firmly among Bengalis. Durga Puja is being used as part of that effort. The fundamental question now is how the Bengalis would react to this BJP narrative.
