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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
With polls in sight, Bengal BJP revives Durga Puja at Kolkata's EZCC after 2 yrs
The BJP in West Bengal will organise Durga Puja at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Kolkata this year. The 'khunti puja' (worship of the pole that marks the beginning of pandal construction) was held on Sunday, with several BJP leaders in attendance, including party state president Samik Bhattacharya, cultural cell chief Rudranil Ghosh, and former MP Rupa Ganguly. While the event is officially being organised by the 'West Bengal Cultural Manch,' its close ties to the BJP are evident, with key party figures leading the arrangements. Speaking at the khunti puja, state president Samik Bhattacharya stressed the cultural and apolitical nature of the festival and said, 'Maa Durga is inseparable from the Hindu Bengali diaspora.' He highlighted Bengal's historical tradition of communal harmony during festivals, citing examples of Muslims participating in Durga Puja. He mentioned about a 300-year-old puja in Basirhat where a Muslim family, which has been living there for generations actively participates in the puja. 'In Bengal, Muharram processions and Durga Puja immersion must take place in the same lane at the same time peacefully,' he said, invoking a message of unity. On being selected as the new president of the West Bengal BJP, Bhattacharya had made similar statements regarding Durga Puja and Muharram BJP's revival of Durga Puja at EZCC is seen as strategic outreach to tap into Bengali voters' cultural and religious sentiments ahead of 2026 polls, strategy that was last employed before the 2021 Assembly elections. This year's Puja marks a revival of a tradition that was initiated by the BJP in 2020, when the party had organised a grand puja at the EZCC, which was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The puja was held again in 2021, but enthusiasm reportedly waned after the BJP's electoral defeat. According to tradition, a puja, once started, must be performed for at least three consecutive years. Following this custom, the Durga Puja at EZCC was held for three consecutive years, concluding in 2022. It was then discontinued in 2023 and 2024, with a smaller, more subdued celebration held at Oikyatan in 2023. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Time of India
11-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
The power of smidgen Sindoor
Sindoor is amorphous! When a married woman scales it from the top of the forehead to the middle of the skull along the tiny hair parting, it becomes a valley; flowing through it an impassioned route to feminity, the boat of marriage thus sailing by keeping the oar intact on its gunwale. Sindoor is applied by Hindu women, a de rigueur. Some apply it every day; a long stretch through the parting till the inseparable red pores start fading, and some do away with a shorter length. Many hardly wear it now; one could owe this to the hard-nosed imprecation of marriage, why then the need to sprinkle the perfumed garden? Husband is now the squall who sputters; 'Sindoor' thus becomes an 'objet d' art, magnifying its exuberance during festivities like Karvachauth where married women therapeutically indulge in their own 'Sindoor craftsmanship'. And not to forget the Hindu Bengali women who smear each other with Sindoor during 'Sindoor Khela' or Vijayadashmi. What is it that makes 'Sindoor' pervasive? Is it devotion to the husband or is it a celebration womanhood, or is in fact a blissful sanity accorded by cultural consanguinity? The ill-disposed are quick to respond, 'Why the dividing line of the hair is empty'? The old-rickety women who have nurtured 'Sindoor' like the strict lines on the palm offer no remorse and often nudge, 'it is a sign of prosperity, applying the red vermillion makes marriage a solid rock without any cervices.' I am reminded of my friend who during 'Chhath Puja' had the red river flowing from the forehead to the bridge of the nose; crimson sprinkled to form an arabesque singing the union of a woman with her belief to love unconditionally. 'Goddess Durga' doesn't leave my impressionistic eye either. The stark red vermillion on her forehead impinges an opalescent hubris. Look at the strength it evokes if stirring up a gaff and the chiseled idol scaled to characterize the red radiance. Aishwarya Rai, Miss World 1994 and a popular celebrity at the Cannes Film Festival, did the anomaly; rather it turned out to be exquisite. She appeared like a carnivalesque of a woman in a spiritual palimpsest of a 'white sari', an essence of peace and contemporaneously crowned by a fierce bold 'red sindoor' attitudinizing conjugality, a coup de maître! Will she wear it the next day? Hard to say! 'Sindoor' has become more of an appurtenance rather than a sine qua non for everyday deck-up. The shift has been imperceptible. The affluttered mother-in-laws' have become quiet as the new age daughter-in-laws' are now adroit to handle their 'sindoor synapse'; the husbands now wonder if the red streak of love planted on the forehead has irreverently unclaimed them? It's not that I have never applied it; yes, I have! And I have to admit it made me look different but nothing to do with who I am. It's been years now and it is asynchronous in my married life; its significance arbitrary along the scrofula surrounding the marriage masochism. However, there comes an accession which has made 'sindoor' anthropomorphic. It was wiped off brutally by the terrorist during the Pahalgam terror attack in 2025, and Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi did not accept the dark in whisper. The 'red' in 'Operation Sindoor' reflects the incandescent tempest that is ready to strike the malfeasance of the perpetrators who left many women as widows with their virtuous sindoor burnt forever. Can 'sindoor' ever be left bleeding? The power of it came down heavily on the miscreants, and 'Operation Sindoor' swallowed the currents of anachronistic hatred. 'Sindoor', with its adventurous spirit will always remain the soi-distant essence of a Hindu woman. Things have definitely changed, one hardly sees married women applying it fervently, and however, it still defines the indomitable spirit to create a crease of one's belonging and coveting the idea of inseparability. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Chhattisgarh girl scores 99.17% while overcoming cancer; tops State board
For Ishika Bala from Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the Class 10 board examination wasn't just about dealing with anxiety but also about the trauma and pain of battling cancer. The 17-year-old overcame both to emerge as topper in the State board examination taken by 3.28 lakh students, scoring a near perfect 99.17%. Enduring 'constant shivering and frequent nasal bleeding besides extreme fatigue and overwhelming stress' for over a year, Ms. Bala — who studies at a government school in Kanker district — missed the board examination last year after being diagnosed in October 2023. Her family says that while she has always done well academically, this difficult phase strengthened her resolve and determination. While her cancer is in remission, she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years and has routine check-ups scheduled every two to three months, according to her father, Shankar Bala. Cheer amidst the gloom Ms. Bala said that though she tried to adhere to her rigorous six-hour-a-day study routine, her physical condition would not permit it. 'My body weight increased, white blood cell and platelet count fell, and I endured blood clots. At one point even touching water would trigger shivering, and the mental stress was extreme. On days I felt slightly better, I tried to study a little, but overall it was excruciating,' she says. Her condition has put considerable pressure on the family. Ms. Bala is the third among five children — four daughters and a son. The eldest, a sister, is married. Her father, a farmer, works a modest 1.7-acre plot to support his family. The parents were forced to stay in Nava Raipur, where she underwent treatment for a year, and the situation has left him in debt. 'Four of my children are studying. I spent ₹15 lakh, which exhausted my savings and forced me to take a substantial loan, which I still owe,' says Mr. Bala, 47. His family was among the Hindu Bengali refugees who migrated from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to undivided Madhya Pradesh and were resettled in the Pakhanjore area of Kanker or North Bastar. He says the examination results have given the family a reason to cheer, however, and he is proud of his daughter. A student of the Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker, Ms. Bala was declared joint topper with Naman Kumar Khuntia of the Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur, on Wednesday. Ms. Bala credits parents and teachers for her success and says they kept her motivated. She has her sights set on engineering and subsequently the UPSC examinations because the IAS 'get a lot of respect and have both the power and the passion to change things.' What does she want to change? 'The education system for sure,' she says. For now, she wishes the government would provide her financial assistance to study.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Chhattisgarh Board 10th Results 2025: Meet Ishika Bala, cancer survivor who scored 99.17 per cent in CGBSE exams
A student of Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker district, she shares the position with Naman Kumar Khuntia of Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur district. Ishika, who hails from a modest family in PV (Paralkot Village)-51 village in the tribal-dominated and Naxal-hit Kanker district, said she aspires to become an IAS officer. But even now, the 17-year-old could be an inspiration to many. Paralkot villages are located in the Pakhanjore area, where Hindu Bengali refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, were settled. According to her family, Ishika was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2023 when she was in Class 10th. The 17-year-old recently overcame cancer, but she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years, they said. She could not take her board exam last year due to cancer, as she underwent treatment in a private hospital in Raipur. 'I want to pursue engineering and will opt for Maths in the next class. I will then prepare for the UPSC exam as I dream of becoming an IAS officer,' Ishka told PTI. Throughout her treatment, Ishika did not let her ambition take a back seat and continued her academic journey with full determination. 'At times, I thought I would not be able to study further. But I didn't give up as I had trust in myself. It is important to have confidence in yourself,' said the teenager. Her farmer father, Shankar Bala, said she was treated at Balco Medical Centre in Nava Raipur and was recently declared free from cancer. She will need to undergo routine check-ups for the next 2-3 years to avoid a recurrence, he said, adding that Ishika is the third among his five children. 'She defeated cancer with her willpower and courage. The entire family cared for her during her treatment and kept encouraging her to continue her studies. Her perseverance paid off, and she topped the board exam,' said the proud father. Despite having modest means, Shankar said he would ensure the best education for all his kids so that they can have successful careers. The Chhattisgarh Board held the Class 12 board exams between March 1 and March 28 and the Class 10 board exams took place from March 3 to March 24.
The Print
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
Chhattisgarh Class 10 topper battled with blood cancer for two years, missed exam last year
As the results of the Class 10 exam conducted by the Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education were declared on Wednesday, Ishika's name figured at the top of the list with a score of 99.17 per cent. The teenager battled with blood cancer for two years before emerging triumphant recently. She missed the board exam last year due to her health condition, but that could not shake her determination. Raipur, May 7 (PTI) Ishika Bala, who topped the Chhattisgarh Class 10 board exam, is a fighter of a rare breed. A student of Government Higher Secondary School in Gundahur village in Kanker district, she shares the position with Naman Kumar Khuntia of Swami Atmanand Govt Utkrisht Eng Med School, Jashpur district. Ishika, who hails from a modest family in PV (Paralkot Village)-51 village in the tribal-dominated and Naxal-hit Kanker district, said she aspires to become an IAS officer. But even now, the 17-year-old could be an inspiration to many. Paralkot villages are located in the Pakhanjore area, where Hindu Bengali refugees from the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, were settled. According to her family, Ishika was diagnosed with blood cancer in November 2023 when she was in Class 10th. The 17-year-old recently overcame cancer, but she will be under observation for the next 2-3 years, they said. She could not take her board exam last year due to cancer, as she underwent treatment in a private hospital in Raipur. 'I want to pursue engineering and will opt for Maths in the next class. I will then prepare for the UPSC exam as I dream of becoming an IAS officer,' Ishka told PTI. Throughout her treatment, Ishika did not let her ambition take a back seat and continued her academic journey with full determination. 'At times, I thought I would not be able to study further. But I didn't give up as I had trust in myself. It is important to have confidence in yourself,' said the teenager. Her farmer father, Shankar Bala, said she was treated at Balco Medical Centre in Nava Raipur and was recently declared free from cancer. She will need to undergo routine check-ups for the next 2-3 years to avoid a recurrence, he said, adding that Ishika is the third among his five children. 'She defeated cancer with her willpower and courage. The entire family cared for her during her treatment and kept encouraging her to continue her studies. Her perseverance paid off, and she topped the board exam,' said the proud father. Despite having modest means, Shankar said he would ensure the best education for all his kids so that they can have successful careers. PTI TKP NR This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
