The National Green Court (NGT) ruled on Thursday that Chhath puja will not be allowed under any circumstances in Kolkata’s famous Rabindra Sarobar lakes, which are considered the lungs of southern Kolkata.
Amid opposition accusations that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was watching the votes of Hindi-speaking people, the Kolkata Municipal Development Authority (KMDA) recently appealed to the NGT to relax its order prohibiting the rituals of Chhath puja at Rabindra Sarovar in southern Calcutta.
KMDA appealed for the ban to be relaxed for just one day in light of people’s sentiments. The KMDA also told the court that it would take steps to control pollution in the lakes. The bid will take place on November 19 and 20.
Despite the ban, hundreds of devotees opened the doors of Rabindra Sarobar in November 2019 to perform the rituals. They even broke cookies and played drums in the Sarobar, although the government had allocated alternative bodies of water in the city for the performance of the rituals. The incident made headlines and sparked a lot of controversy.
The word Chhath means six. The festival is dedicated to Lord Surya (Sun God) and Chhathi Maiya, who is known to be Lord Surya’s sister. This festival is celebrated mainly in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi. Devotees express their gratitude to Lord Surya and perform important rituals over a period of four days.
“We are going to move the Supreme Court,” West Bengal’s urban development minister Firhad Hakim said on Thursday afternoon, drawing a strong reaction from political parties and environmental experts.
Interestingly, TMC got support on this issue from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has a significant vote bank in areas dominated by Hindi-speaking people.
“Making the bid is a fundamental right of people. There may be restrictions on dropping flowers, etc. in the water, but no one can completely forbid the ritual, ”said BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha.
Congress attacked the chief minister saying she has politicized religious festivals to get votes.
“Mamata Banerjee has politicized Bengal parties. Did the people of Bihari ever tell you that they would not vote for TMC unless they were allowed to pollute the waters of Rabindra Sarobar? They never did that. Similarly, the Muslims never asked him to stop the immersion of Durga idols to allow the Muharram processions. Banerjee is doing them proactively. She believes this will help her secure the votes of Muslims and Bihari, ”said West Bengal Congress Speaker Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
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Covering 192 acres of man-made lakes and with 7,000 trees, some of which were severely damaged by Cyclone Amphan in May, Rabindra Sarobar is a bird watcher’s paradise. The city’s bird watchers have spotted at least 200 species of resident and migratory birds here. It is also home to numerous types of fish and animals.
The NGT passed an order in 2018 banning Chhath puja in Rabindra Sarobar after environmental activists and wildlife lovers started a movement. The petition was submitted by prominent environmental activist Subhas Dutta.
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“The urban development minister says relaxation is only necessary for one day. I’d like to ask if anyone can survive without air for even a minute, ”Dutta said Thursday after Hakim said the government would move the Supreme Court.
On Monday, TMC launched a completely new three-tiered Hindi cell, while India observed Hindi Diwas. The cell will have separate committees at the state, district and community bloc levels.
The BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. TMC’s tally dropped from 34 seats to 22.
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