[Clamping a restriction on idol immersion on the day, or rather evening, of the Vjaya Dashami - the traditional immersion day, first till 6 PM, that's just ludicrous, and then revised to 10 PM, is pretty outrageous. All the more so as the Muharram falls on the following day.
But disallowing "visarjan" (i.e. immersion) on the following day - the day of Muharram is quite a sensible move. If the idol can be made to overstay by a day, which has got no religious sanction whatever - let alone being an "essential" part of the religion, it can overstay for another day or so as well. What's the big deal!? Many idols do overstay for a much longer stretch as a matter of routine. Because the festival goes well beyond the limits, as customary practice, set by the religion concerned. Both the state government and the Calcutta High Court are found sadly wanting in the instant case.] https://scroll.in/article/851492/the-daily-fix-calcutta-hcs-scrapping-of-durga-immersion-restrictions-is-a-wake-up-call-for-mamata Calcutta HC’s scrapping of Durga immersion restrictions is a wake up call for Mamata by Shoaib Daniyal Published 2 hours ago The Daily Fix: Calcutta HC’s scrapping of Durga immersion restrictions is a wake up call for Mamata Dibgyanshu Sarkar/AFP Idol talk On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court revoked the West Bengal government’s order restricting the timings of Durga immersions on Muharram. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had ordered the curbs because she feared clashes between processions organised to mark the Muslim period of mourning and crowds of Hindus immersing idols of the goddess. The original order had restricted immersions from 6 pm on September 30 until October 1, the day of Muharram. The Bharatiya Janata Party had sharply opposed the order, denouncing what it described as the “politics of appeasement”. Of late, West Bengal’s politics has been riven by communal challenges. A series of low-intensity riots have occurred in the state at regular intervals. Banerjee’s fears, therefore, hold some water. In fact, even though the West Bengal government had restricted Durja Puja immersions last year, small riots broke out over the issue of Muharram processions. Yet, it is precisely because West Bengal is going through a period of communal tensions that Banerjee needed to have avoided a move so hamhanded. Traditionally, immersions are rarely carried out on Ekadashi, which falls on October 1. But the government’s decision to restrict them on September 30 – Dashami, the last day of the festival – was an egregious mistake. Dashami is the traditional day for immersion of Durga idols in Bengal. This curb was an obvious infringement on the freedom of religion. Citing a clash with Muharram holds little water since, in the case of Dashami, there was no clash. Muharram was the day after. The clumsiness with which Banerjee handled the situation can be gauged from the fact that by September 15, the West Bengal government had gone back on its 6 pm deadline for Dashami immersions. Under pressure, it extended it to 10pm. But if immersions up to 10 pm were deemed acceptable, what prompted the government to come up with the 6 pm deadline in the first place? Besides, it must be noted that Muharram is a minor festival in the state since nearly all Muslim Bengalis are from the Sunni sect that is not very keen on the processions in the first place. (Muharram is principally a Shia observance.) Banerjee’s statements after Thursday’s court order were equally unconvincing. Rather than own up to a mistake, the chief minister went on a tirade. “Someone can slit my throat but no one can tell me what to do,” she grandstanded. Banerjee seems unaware that her blundering politics has significant consequences not only for West Bengal but for her party too. The Trinamool’s votes are split down the middle between Hindu and Muslim. Any communal polarisation would result in the party falling between two stools. Already, in areas where there has been communal violence, the BJP has gained support even as the Trinamool has hemorrhaged it. While communal violence has, till now, been low intensity and highly local, any spread would severely harm the Trinamool. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
