Credit tussle over UN heritage tag for Durga Puja

Tribune News Service

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, September 1

The UNESCO decision to include “Durga Puja in Kolkata” in the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” has led to a contest among political parties in West Bengal about who should get credit for the honour bestowed by the UN body.

While CM Mamata Banerjee, in her characteristic style, has launched a full-blown offensive to walk away with the laurels, the BJP, the largest Opposition party in the state, has pointed out that it is the Culture Ministry of the Narendra Modi-led Central Government in Delhi that played a pivotal role in the recognition given to the Kolkata festival by UNESCO.

The CPM, too, has thrown its hat in the ring saying that a note written by art historian Tapati Guha Thakurta, an ideological co-traveller of the Marxists, sent to UNESCO by the Union Ministry of Culture was instrumental in securing the commendation for the Kolkata festival.

CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday kicked off a mega event to welcome the recognition given to Durga Puja by UNESCO. While the stated objective of the festivities being held in Kolkata today is to thank the UNESCO, whose representatives are also slated to take part in the event, the reality is that it is a Mamata show all the way. The festivities started with a ‘padayatra’ (foot march) from the Tagore family residence at Jorasanko. With Mamata in folded hands accepting greetings from onlookers, the procession went to Red Road for the function. Mamata had announced Thursday’s programme on August 22 in a function held in Kolkata where representatives of puja committees from across the state were present.

“Mamata Banerjee is organising a rally to take credit for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag for Durga Puja. The truth however is that she had no role whatsoever in getting the award.,” Amit Malviya, BJP National Executive member and co-incharge of the party’s West Bengal unit tweeted.

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