Tripura Muslims in border areas celebrate Durga Puja with zest
AGARTALA: Their Durga Puja is low on budget, but there’s no cap on their enthusiasm and festivity. Meet Tripura’s Muslim organisers of the autumn festival in areas along the border with Bangladesh.
The scale of celebration of Durga Puja in Bengali-majority Tripura is perhaps next to West Bengal. In contrast, the puja organised by residents of Dakshin Ramnagar in West Tripura district is bland.
More than 70% of the people in Dakshin Ramnagar are Muslims. For almost 60 years, they have organised the Durga Puja for their Hindu neighbours.
An apparent, recent right turn in Left-ruled Tripura is testing the puja spirit in the border areas, making the people more determined to set an example of communal harmony.
“Our area is known for Hindus and Muslims for Durga Puja and Eid together. Our Muslim brothers are key members of our puja committee. We have prasad together and some of them even pray with us,” Krishna Biswas, secretary of Yuvak Sangha Club of the area, told HT.
“We think it is our democratic duty to make arrangements for the puja and many of us perform the rituals for the Goddess,” Surap Miah, the club’s assistant secretary, said.
The scenario is similar in the Muslim-dominated PEC Patta area nearby. Locals could not say what PEC stands for.
“We do not think Durga Puja is restricted to only one community. We believe that the festival is for everyone. Much of the money for our locality puja is donated by Muslims. We love to take part in the festival as we do in Eid,” Abu Hasan, a retired BSF sentry and president of the local club, said.
Jasim, the secretary of the local puja committee, is a daily wager who skips work to be around during the festival days.
Muslims are the backbone of the puja at Paschim Joynagar nearby too.
“We cannot think of organising puja without the help of our Muslim brothers. They are involved in everything – from collection of subscriptions to decorating the pandal to immersion,” Krishna Pal, a local resident, said. Two other Muslimdominated border villages – Kulubari and Durgapur in Tripura’s Sepahijala district – have also set an example for organising Durga Puja for years.