This year, Suruchi Sangha to press for 'Unity in Diversity'

Kolkata: Concerned over "the atmosphere of intolerance" prevalent in the country, the Suruchi Sangha club in New Alipore is depicting the message of Unity in Diversity through its Puja that entered its 64th year.

The Puja, better known as the Puja of state Public Works Department, Youth Affairs and Sports minister Aroop Biswas, had been churning out themes related to art and culture of different states in India and also in the neighbouring countries.

The shift from highlighting the 'states' to this theme has been deliberate.

"Some political parties have been trying to divide people in the name of religion and a sense of intolerance is prevailing in the whole country. However, our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been vocal against intolerance and had made it clear that she will not tolerate any divisions on religious grounds in Bengal. Hence, we have undertaken this theme," Biswas, who is also the president of the club said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has penned the theme song of the club that was unveiled by Biswas on Tuesday in presence of leading Tollywood celebrities like Prosenjit, Ankush, Nusrat Jahan, Srijit Mukherjee to name a few.

Artists mainly from Murshidabad and Birbhum have been roped in to make the pandal which is being made out of bamboo cane and sponge gourd. "We have collected 15 types of bamboos from different parts of the country. Our objective is to showcase how bamboos can be used to make artworks of international standard. The livelihood of the people who carve out things with bamboos will also be highlighted through our Puja. Their birth to death cycle will also be presented through our theme," Subrata Banerjee, who has conceived the theme of the pandal said.

Elaborating on the theme, Banerjee said that no exhibition can match the crowd that turn out at Suruchi every year.

"I am trying to provide technical upgradation to the inherent expertise of these artists," he added.

Biswas, as the Sports minister, is also highlighting the Under 17 World Cup event through the Puja. A model of a football made with bamboo has been made and 16 figures surround the ball.

"They will be clad in jerseys of 16 different countries who are participating in the Cup in which 10 matches will be held in Kolkata. The jerseys are being procured from abroad," he said.