Communication professional Sreeraj Mitra blames “this murder of the Bengali language” on “the over-dependence on AI translations.” Jawhar Sircar, former Prasar Bharti CEO and secretary, department of culture, government of India, advised the state government to refrain from teaching Bengalis how to welcome Durga, their daughter. “People who have done it seem to be unaware that Bengali and Hindi have different syntax and nuances,” Sircar said.
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And then, of course, there is the food. The number of non-vegetarian food stalls, is fewer this year. Eateries are taking care to not advertise non-veg with images of Goddess Durga in the background.
The cultural shift is in your face. Jagrata and Sherawali have made a triumphant debut, and BJP leaders are competing to take over the Pujas in their localities.
Hindi bhajans and Hanuman Chalisa are much in demand and a Hindu outfit of some description has occupied the space outside the CPI(M) office on Alimuddin Street to hold round-the-clock Chandipath.
When the communists discovered their 60-year-old bookstall occupied by a Hindutva outfit, they had to seek redress in court, while the police looked the other way.
Local sponsors of cultural events, often builders, are hard to find this year as they are still negotiating arrangements and commissions with the new ‘rulers’. In the absence of a clear power hierarchy, leaders at various levels are flexing their muscles, they say.
Another tradition to take a hit this year is the release of new Bengali music during this season. Navratri, garba events and Hindi devotional songs have edged out Bengali, it seems. It is all very disorienting for anyone who knew what made Durga Puja an ‘intangible cultural heritage’ worth celebrating.
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