Sagar Durga Puja 2025 celebration in Chokfuldubi, South 24 Parganas, has become the epicenter of a fierce dispute after local authorities pressured organizers to open the pandals mid-festival, citing objections to the chosen theme “Operation Sindoor.” The Puja was subsequently shut down by the committee, which has vowed to return any government funding.
Theme Sparks Administrative Backlash
The organizers had announced the 2025 Durga Puja with the bold theme “Operation Sindoor,” printing invitations, festoons, and banners accordingly, and promoting the theme across multiple locations. They say that several days into the festival, officials intervened and demanded that the pandals be closed, claiming the theme was unacceptable. Under pressure, the organizers reluctantly allowed the pandals to continue for the time being.
In a public statement, Puja committee members asserted: “We had to suspend the festival due to intolerable administrative pressure. We were told that our theme would not be allowed. We have decided to return the government grant we had received.”
Silence from Authorities, Accusations Fly
Repeated attempts to contact the Sagar block administration and police went unanswered. The organizers claim that the pressure exerted was indirect and coercive. Locals, too, expressed frustration. One resident, Debasish Bera, said: “The head (of the puja) is associated with the ruling party, but there seems to be discomfort about ‘Operation Sindoor.’ He had even submitted invitations to the local MLA. Later, the MLA objected.”
On the other hand, state officials have rejected these allegations. Minister Bankim Hazra commented: “There is a false narrative being propagated. Some of those in the puja committee are affiliated with the BJP. They have irresponsibly politicized the festival. I asked the head about these claims — he said he knows nothing about them.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar escalated the issue: “No one has the right to decide how a mother goddess should be represented. ‘Operation Sindoor’ is a symbol of national integrity. Those who oppose it should be prosecuted for sedition.”
A Broader Pattern?
Notably, the same “Operation Sindoor” theme had been chosen by another Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square in Kolkata, organized by a BJP-associated councillor, Sajal Ghosh. He, too, alleged pressure from authorities to alter or stop the theme’s display.
Fallout and Questions Ahead
The abrupt shutdown has left many questions unanswered: To what extent can themes of religious festivals be curtailed by political or administrative influence? Is this incident an isolated clash or part of a deeper trend of cultural censorship? And what legal recourse do community organizers have when faced with ideological opposition from authorities?
The Sagar Durga Puja committee’s decision to return state funding underscores the scale of their discontent. As the local community reels from the sudden turn of events, the contest between creative freedom and administrative control in public cultural spaces has been thrust into the spotlight.
