Minister Shashi Panja paints Goddess Durga’s eyes at Kashi Bose Lane

As per data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), eight children were trafficked every day in India in 2021 for labour, begging and sexual exploitation. In this 86th year, Kashi Bose Lane Durga Puja Samity has taken up the important cause of child and women trafficking as its central theme.

On Wednesday, minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare of Bengal, Shashi Panja performed ‘Chokkhudan’ by drawing the eye of the goddess.

To mark the 86th year of the Durga Puja celebration, 86 club members have also pledged to donate their eyes, showing their commitment to a noble cause. The Bengal Health department has also extended its support to this initiative.

The theme, ‘Chaina Hote Uma’ (Don’t want to be Uma - the goddess), sheds light on the plight of countless women who find themselves lost in the grim shadows of life after falling victim to trafficking. “Trafficking, as an organised crime, has cast a harrowing shadow across the world. Children of all ages are auctioned and sold into child labour, begging, or sexual exploitation, leaving us to ponder whether they can ever find their way back to the mainstream. So, do they still aspire to be ‘Umas’ in a world filled with such hardships,” said Somen Datta, general secretary of Kashi Bose Lane Durga Puja Samity.

The theme has been created by Rintu Das, with Amal Pal bringing the idol to life and Srijato composing the theme song for Kashi Bose Lane. The eye donation pledge coincides with World Sight Day, which will be observed on Thursday, making Durga Puja a platform for various causes to come together.

The pandal is open to visitors from October 16.