Durga Puja Celebrated by Hindus and Muslims in Agartala Slum, Committee Has Muslims as President and Members
Agartala, October 25: Durga Puja festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims together in a slum on the outskirts of Agartala in Tripura. The Durga Puja committee at Mollapara is also headed by a Muslim - Ruhiz Miah. Besides, 18 of the 31 members of the committees are also Muslims. It's been 19 years that two communities come together to celebrate Durga Puja and set an example of communal harmony and brotherhood. Festive Season 2020: COVID-19 Dampens Navratri, Durga Puja and Dussehra Celebrations.
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"We have been doing this for the past 19 years here. We believe this is important to achieve sustainable harmony; to participate in each others' festivals. I have been the president of this committee for 3 years," Ruhiz Miah told news agency ANI. "Religion is a personal affair. Festivities are societal matters of concern. Keeping this in mind we take part in organising Eid as well in this compound," one of the organisers said. Durga Puja 2020: Asian Paints Ad of Mini’s ‘Pujo at Home’ Melts a Million Hearts, Watch Viral 'Dugga Elo Ghawrey' Video.
Hindus, Muslims Come Together to Celebrate Durga Puja in Agartala Slum:
"We've been doing this for the past 19 years here. We believe this is important to achieve sustainable harmony; to participate in each others' festivals. I've been the president of this committee for 3 years," says the president of the Puja committee pic.twitter.com/SOsBgrgzbk
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2020
Unlike previous years, the committee this time took no money from people outside the slum and raised Rs 55,000 among themselves. Through donations from some patrons, the committee collected Rs 80,000 for Durga Puja, lower than the previous year’s budget of Rs 1.2 lakh, The Indian Express reported. The committee is also spending money for welfare activities in the slum.
"We have allocated 35 percent of our puja budget for distributing food, citrus fruits and clothes among the poorest in our community. We hope this will help them during the pandemic, when their incomes are badly hit,” Tapan Dutta, secretary of the committee, was quoted as saying.
