Durga Puja of 2020

Although the festive mood in West Bengal is quite on high, yet, it seems this year’s Durga Puja shall not be the same for Bengalis. The presence of shining sun in the middle of the sky and the scattered clouds that floats all over the blue horizon above, indicates the arrival of the biggest festival of Bengal. This is the time of the year that all keenly look forward to, yet this year the circumstances has forced us to celebrate Durga Puja with a lot more restrictions.

Covid, has undoubtedly put our lives at a different level where neither can we roam around freely nor we can spend our lives according to our whim. Mask and Sanitizer perhaps became our closest associates and social distance, has likewise fused with us so permanently that can never be disintegrated from the social protocols. The time is so dramatic that no one has least idea about when things may turn around and civilization can breathe freely like ever before.

We all are spending our days with the hope that sooner rather than later, the situation would turn in our favor and life would be back to its normal pace. The only ray of hope to discover vaccine seems to boost our motivation to withstand the toughest of time every passing day. The future looks so pale and vague that we all are lost in the depth of a deep white mist where there is apparently no way out.

This Puja shall not be the same for all. It shall not bear the same joy as so many have lost their dearest one and so many perhaps would lose in the days to come. Civilization is likely to succumb to a shell that hindered the progress of humanity and life is enshrineed within the barrier of four walls. Railway has been halted for so many months and families that are solely depended on its regular movement can foresee their future eventually being swallowed up by uncertainty.  

We hope that with the arrival of the holy power of ‘Maa Durga’ the cruel influence of Corona may gradually be overshadowed and life may surplus with joy and prosperity. The struggle and suffering that civilization has witnessed for so long must come to a stop now; the wheel of progress that has been stuck for so long must resume its movement. The darkness of uncertainty that prevailed for so many months may now slowly move, making the way clear for the ray of hope to replace the gloom.