Kolkata stampede: Uncertainties prevail over idol immersion of Chorbagan puja pandal
Kolkata stampede: Uncertainties prevail over idol immersion of Chorbagan puja pandal Kolkata, Oct 21 (IANS) Amid the beginning of idol immersion having started on Wednesday on the occasion of “Vijaya Dashami” marking the end of Durga Puja, uncertainties are continuing on when the idols of Chorbagan Sarbojanin community Puja, where a tragic stampede took place late last week claiming 19 human lives, will be immersed. There are multiple reasons behind this continuing uncertainty. First of all, there are strict instructions from the administration that unless the investigation regarding the tragedy is completed, nothing within the community Puja Pandal, including the idols can be touched and moved anyway.
Now, since immersion will not be possible without touching and moving the idols, it is uncertain when the investigation will be completed and when the idols will be immersed. However, the symbolic “Bisarjan (immersion)” of the “Kalash”, the sacred pot symbolising Goddess Durga, was completed on Wednesday afternoon. However, no one knows when the physical immersion of the idols will be done. Secondly, since the stampede tragedy on the night of October 17, the organisers of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin had virtually kept them away from the Puja pandal. Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja committee Vice-President Santanu Dubey and Secretary Raj Kumar Sewda (alias Raja) is already lodged in jail after being arrested by the police on the morning of October 18.
“Now, either out of panic or of a feeling of remorse, the other prominent faces in the organising committee were hardly seen anywhere near the pandal on the remaining Puja days. Now even if the administration finally permits the idol immersion, the big question is who will arrange for that exercise,” a local resident said. Already a special investigation team (SIT) of the Kolkata Police had started a probe in the matter. At the same time there will be a separate probe by a judicial probe commission to be led by a retired justice of the Calcutta High Court. The initial police probe had already identified a combination of a number of factors that triggered panic among the devotees present within the pandal on that night which ultimately led to the tragedy of such a magnitude.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had already announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the members of the families of the deceased and Rs 5,00,000 for those injured in the tragedy. Since Tuesday, the Chief Minister had been personally visiting the family members of the deceased individuals and handing them over the compensation cheques.
