Four Days of Happiness…..

Durga Puja is here again … Time for Devi Durga to pay her annual visit to the earth, and along with other parts of the world, to Silchar as well. The town, with a legacy of hosting the Goddess for more than the last hundred years, is as warm and excited to receive her this year also. However, with the condition of the town, we are not sure if the Goddess feels the same way.

Like many of us, the Goddess also seems to have abandoned the town … visiting Silchar has become more of a compulsion for her. Not that we blame her… who would want to see her children slog every day and night while combating the endless problems of this ever growing town. Probably, she wants to avoid being in a situation where she knows what the problems are, but cannot do much to address them. She would rather try to avoid the embarrassment that she is certain to undergo while trying to change the scenario. Just because her annual leave cannot be carried forward to the next calendar year, Devi usually does not cancel her trip… though at times curtails the duration of her stay by a day or two.

The Goddess has arrived; she will spend her pre-scheduled four days and will depart, without being bothered much, as she herself has realized it over the years that there is no point wasting time on being concerned about the town. She is surely going to be pampered by one and all; she knows ASEB won’t dare to interrupt power supply during her stay… roads would be more or less walkable… and garbage littered around the city would either be covered somehow or taken off to some other place… at least, things won’t be too bad!

Of course, the spirit of Silchariites is also one of the factors that make her visit worthwhile every year. People back home have started hitting the road clad in new colorful clothes and are thronging the Puja pandals in every nook and corner of the town. There is no dearth of enthusiasm. The broken roads and the other day to day evils cannot afford to play spoilsport.  A few day back only, thousands of Silchriites had assembled at Sadarghat to usher in our beloved Goddess… conveniently forgetting the fact that breaking down of the dilapidated Sadarghat Bridge is just a matter of time. 

Wise of her! She would rather utilize the short span of time she has to the fullest and go back happily…leaving the mortals counting days for Devi’s next visit, so that they get these rare luxuries of life again next year.  

* Concern For Silchar wishes its readers a very happy Durga Pujo. The second part of our last week's post 'Meeting The Ministers - 1' will be posted in the subsequent weeks.  Happy reading......