The Kolkata police do not expect the RG Kar protests to affect the Durga Puja crowds, if the force’s arrangements on the ground are any indication. And the crowds are also back at shopping hotspots in Calcutta.
The burgeoning agitations over the rape and murder of a young trainee doctor at the state-run medical college and hospital had put a cloud over the Durga Puja celebrations, but the cops are bracing for the holiday season rush as usual.
“As of now I do not think ,the protests or anything related to this incident will have any effect on the crowd,” Bidisha Kalita Dasgupta, deputy commissioner of police, South Suburban Division, Kolkata, told The Telegraph Online.
“However, once the Puja starts and the pandals are open for the people it depends then, as to how the public would respond to it,” the IPS officer added.
She said the Kolkata Police were preparing and deploying as usual for the festive season.
“Our teams in different parts are managing the crowds, we are putting barricades wherever required to keep the crowd in control,” Dasgupta said.
In the run-up to Bengal’s biggest festival and business season, newspapers and publications have widely reported how the sentiment is gloomy across Calcutta’s many markets where shopkeepers look forward to the Durga Puja season for the bulk of their earnings.
Many events were also cancelled and businesses that depend on advertisements have been staring at bleak prospects. But things seem to be looking up.
The bustling scene at Gariahat on last Sunday afternoon was a sharp contrast to the quieter days of “Justice for RG Kar” protests. Buyers and hawkers engaged in hectic bargaining like any other typical Sunday in Gariahat.
“I live a kilometre from Gariahat and rely on the well-stocked shops and street vendors for all of my Puja shopping,” Shilpi J. Sen, a homemaker and consultant, told The Telegraph Online. “This year I bought saris for Ashtami and Nabami from the sari stores of Rashbehari. I also bought blouses since tailors are not accepting any orders now.
“I noticed the street vendors are happy to see customers back,” she added. “I also noticed many customers from outside Kolkata… No mall can match the energy of this.”
The Durga Puja feeling is finally back, shopkeepers said.
"Things have finally started picking up," Amit Roy, who sells bags on the Gariahat footpath, told The Telegraph earlier. According to Roy, the crowd started to increase from Friday evening after a month of lull.
In Hatibagan, too, the sights were similar on Sunday. Crowds filled the narrow lanes, moving from one shop to another, bargaining for sarees, jewellery and festive clothing. Street vendors called out to customers, displaying bright kurtas and accessories on makeshift stalls. Families and friends were searching for the perfect outfits for the festival. The market was alive with chatter and excitement as people hurried to finish their shopping in time for the celebrations.
“Amid this festive crowd, our people are always there to assist the public in case of need. We have made special arrangements for ease and help of the people.” S.C. Kotal, duty officer of the Burtolla police station, told The Telegraph Online.
Another policeman, attached to the Shyampukur police station, said: “I don’t think there is any issue or effect related to protests in the area.”
Yet another policeman, from Burtolla police station, said: “There is another force deployed during the Puja times to manage the crowd and our people are there in the market. Owing to rain in the evening there are issues being faced by shoppers, I cannot comment on anything related to protests but thik e cholche ekhun toh [it is fine now].”
Meeraj Khalid, joint commissioner of police, headquarters, agreed with the boots on the ground that the crowds are back on the streets of Durga Puja-bound Calcutta.
Asked if the RG Kar protests would affect the Durga Puja crowds, he told The Telegraph Online: “I cannot give my personal opinion as to whether the protests will hamper or affect the crowd or not, but as of now I am not getting any news [to that effect]. In case something happens in future, we will manage it effectively so that Puja hoppers can have a safe and hassle-free experience.”