The New Indian Express ·
The bhog fights back: Bengal’s Durga Puja test rebuffs BJP’s Sanatani template
The plate, it turns out, is the last battlefield of politics. The controversy over the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s directives for Durga Puja has exposed a political question that extends beyond food: can the BJP promote a common Sanatan identity in Bengal without attempting to standardise a festival whose religious, artistic and social traditions are distinctly regional?
The VHP’s August 26 meeting with Durga Puja organisers from a state government platform in Kolkata announced recommendations covering the composition of puja organising committees, food, religious rituals and the appearance of idols. It asked that pujas be conducted by “Sanatani Hindus”, that non-vegetarian food be restricted in and around pandals, and that organisers avoid representations considered inconsistent with traditional Hindu imagery. The organisation also proposed recognising pujas and priests for adherence to religious customs.
The VHP’s Bengal leaders have sought to present these as safeguards rather than prohibitions. Nirgunananda Brahmachari, a member of its central advisory council, said the organisation was not opposed to theme-based pujas but wanted Durga’s “motherly nature” preserved. He explained that the food recommendation was intended to prevent non-vegetarian food from being scattered around puja venues, rather than to impose a general prohibition on eating meat or fish.He had added that the organisation could "intervene" if committees failed to comply.
