The Ideal Durga Puja
I am really amazed at the expensive affair that Bengalis make out of Durga Puja! If they can raise so much money locality wise, then why not make good use of it! Where is the point of making an idol worth over lakhs only to immerse it after 6 days!? It really does not suit a state that is poverty stricken – where people literally live hand to mouth!
If so much funds get raised then why not invest it in something that is more lasting and can make people happier for very long? Ideally a small idol, a pandal where localpeople meet and get together, eat together – so far, so good – but what is this crazy completion of ‘Most lavish pandal’, ‘Most Innovative theme’ concept all about!? It is ridiculous!
We can utilize the money in the following manner:
- The broken roads and open drainage can be taken care of. Help the state run municipality by giving them the money and see to it that the roads and open drains and other hygiene factors are well taken care of. Have couple of local people (those who collect funds etc. ) to also look into the expenditure – whether it is utilized economically or not. Overnight people cannot become honest in their dealings – there are chances that the entire fund raised will go into making a farm house for the local MLA…. so have a group of people along with the Municipal authorities to join hands and work together to beautify their locality.
- Raise the standard of living of the slum dwellers. Mostly the domestic helpers come from the slums that are unkempt and unhygienic! Arrange for better living standards for them – water and electricity supply, toilets etc. Teach them the importance of hygiene. If they are happy and healthy, they will be regular for work and lot of headache because of absence of domestic helpers will get erased automatically.
- There are government / Municipality schools for the financially poor people. But we all know how the resources are totally wasted! Educate people if you really are interested in the progress of your nation. Just by enhancing the teaching standards, a lot can be done for the future of the nation. Open institutes that give vocational training. Electrician, plumbing, masonry works, driving – there are many things that can fetch people their daily bread. If this is taken care of, they will not join some brainless, power-hungry, greedy brute to terrorize people!
Scores of other things can be done if money is economically utilized for the betterment of the nation. Please don’t waste money like water! Having fried rice, chilly-chicken and kati rolls..and surplus alcohol for 6 days and then for the rest of the days – live hand to mouth, steal, beg, kill for money! Is this why you think the creator has created you all for?!
