Rattled by Manipur happenings, Kolkata artist depicts common women’s resilience in Durga idol

Outraged by an incident in Manipur in which two women were paraded naked soon after ethnic strife began there in May, a Kolkata artist has depicted the resilience of common women in a Durga idol to be worshipped in a Kolkata community puja. 

Clad in an ordinary sari and having a determined look, the Durga idol with a raised face will be followed by a procession of men and women, while her progeny – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh – will side with them. 

'Ganadevata' (the deity of the masses) is the theme of the Arjunpur Amra Sabai club in the Baguiati area on the eastern fringes of the city. “As a sensitive person, I was anguished by the happenings in Manipur and that pain was reflected while I moulded the idol,” sculptor Bhabatosh Sutar told media. “We put the woman as a goddess on a pedestal and worship her as an embodiment of 'Stree Shakti'. 

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At the same time, we also attack women, disrobe and dishonour them. Women are tortured during every conflict, they become easy targets,” he said. 

The texture of the idol will also be rough, and not smooth as is usually seen, to mirror the life of every woman. In the pandal, the goddess’ children will be seen among the people in the rally. 

Sutar had previously worked on themes depicting contemporary social issues including the journey of migrant workers during lockdown last year.