Mass gathering to be minimised & only rituals to be done during Durga Puja, says Himanta Biswa

Sept. 10: Amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the celebration of forthcoming Durga Puja festival has now become the most talked about subject among the people. The mass gathering of people which usually takes place during the Durga Puja has become a major cause of concern for the government. Airing his views to a satellite channel in Guwahati on Thursday, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Durga Puja will definitely be held, but there should be reasonable restrictions especially to avoid mass gathering of people.”

Saying so, the minister added, “What more can I say. If people feel that this year they have not been able to celebrate Bihu, Ambabuchi due to lockdown and so they will indulge in mass gathering like the earlier years, then things would become very dangerous. As such, I would appeal to the people that they understand the cricial situation which we are in at present and go ahead only with the religious rituals associated with Durga Puja.

He went on to say that in the state, there will be thousand of puja pandals, so how to convince them all. “If listening to the government’s appeal, the people celebrate only the ritualistic part of Durga Puja this year, then there would not be much problem. But if people blatantly ignore all Covid protocols, then the number of COVID-19 cases will rise alarmingly.” Himanta Biswa Sarma also stated that this is too early to project about an event in October. The minister therefore appealed to the people at large to be reasonable in the backdrop of the widespread coronavirus while celebrating Durga Puja this year.

Meanwhile, the upcoming Durga Puja festivity will be a low key affair in Cachar district in view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The district administration convened a meeting with the representatives of different puja organising committees at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner here on 9 September.

The Hailakandi district administration also held a meeting with various puja committees for the upcoming Durga Puja amidst the COVID-19 situation. Chairing a meeting at his office conference hall here on Friday, Deputy Commissioner, Megh Nidhi Dahal urged the puja committees to keep the festivity a low key affair in view of the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

If the guidelines relating to COVID-19 protocols are not complied with during Durga Puja celebrations, the highly contagious disease may spread rapidly after the festival and then the situation may worsen and spin out of control.