From Panibora to Panpatty and Silcoorie to Tarapur; Idol-makers in Cachar find DC’s SOP unfair

20 days before Durga Puja, the deputy commissioner of Cachar rolled out the standard operating procedure and asked Cachar police to ensure that those are strictly followed. The SOP has been widely criticised in the district. BJP and Congress both wrote to the deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli and urged her to relook at it.

The idol-makers across the district have also criticised the SOP. “It is clear that the person who worked on the SOP has no clue about our culture, Durga Puja and the plight of us idol-makers,” said Sudip Paul, one of the most popular sculptors in Silchar’s Panpatty area.

Life took a downturn for the sculptors in Cachar since March. Just a few days before Basanti Puja (Durga Puja) in April, the Government announced the lockdown. “All the idols that were ordered by devotees across the district pilled at our godowns. We did not cover the production cost and instead we had to invest in storage, pay rent for space, appoint a person to guard the idols,” said Kartik Suklabaidya, a sculptor in Tarapur’s Kristi Vivek Club.

The idol makers start preparing for Durga Puja from May. In between, they make idols of goddess Manasha too. This year, due to the pandemic, there were no Manasha Puja in Silchar. “We thought we will disburse the idols we made for Basanti Puja during Durga Puja after certain modifications. But they are neither on one frame nor below 5ft. Now what are we supposed to do with these idols. We were anyway living hand to mouth. This is not a profitable business anymore. The cost of clay has increased by Rs 600 per truck, we now pay Rs 2600. How are we supposed to survive?” Kartik Suklabaidya added.

Every year, sculptors from Nandigram in West Bengal shift to Tarapur and work on idols along with Kartik Suklabaidya. They get contracts upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh. This year, the sculptors have returned empty-handed as there we no orders. The Puja Committees are not willing to pay more than Rs 15,000 for idols. “We are getting paid more by the families who do Puja at home. How does this 5ft cap on size and one frame compulsion make any sense? If the idols are tied together it is natural that the weight will be more and therefore, more people will be necessary during immersion. Separate idols will need fewer people,” quipped Kartik Suklabaidya.

 

 

An idol-maker in Silcoorie who gets 20 orders every year has received only four so far. “We kept 20 structures ready. Every year, the puja committees place order and we have an idea about the structure and budget, but this year, unfortunately, we have got six orders and two got canceled. The Puja committees have not collected donations, so either they are not doing Puja or they are doing Ghat Puja. The 5ft cap should have been announced earlier if they had to, now it has hit us hard. We urge deputy commissioner madam to change it,” said the sculptor in Silcoorie who wished not to be named.

Panpatty, which remains busiest during Durga Puja and is renowned for idol-making is silent, dark and staring at cold and vicious winter ahead. “Some of our Kumars (idol-makers or sculptors) have started selling vegetables and fruits on thelas. This is our situation and this how this art has been demeaned. Lockdown during Basanti Puja came as a storm for us but the administration’s SOP 20 days before Durga Puja has hit us like a tornado. The entire industry will crumble down and it will also result in a cultural shift,” said Sudip Paul, a third-generation sculptor in Panpatty.

There are five sculptors in Panpatty and each appoints around 10 people including helpers and painters. All of them put together, deliver more than 100 sets of idols with the average cost of each idol around Rs 20,000 per set. This year the number of orders has dropped down to 70 and the average cost of each is around Rs 12,000.

From a collective income of Rs 20 lakh per year during Durga Puja, it has dropped down to Rs 8.4 lakh for all five sculptors. “The cost of clay has gone up, we have the same number of people working, so the operating cost is the same as the previous year if not higher but the revenue is less than half. We won’t be able to clear our dues and it is certain that debts will pile up,” said Sudip Paul.

While the economic loss is huge, the 5ft-cap is a nightmare for the sculptors as most of them operate from makeshift workshops and now they will have to keep those on rent till at least next April’s Basanti Puja.

“There is another issue that we need to understand. Once the Puja takes place with smaller idols, it is likely that the Puja committees will get used to it and they might just decide to stick to it next year too. So, our income that is heading downward will continue to do so resulting in people leaving this business,” added Paul.

It is clear that the sculptors were not taken into confidence before chalking the guidelines. They have submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner requesting her to change the SOP and remove the cap on the size of the idol. What deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli decides is yet to be seen.

For now, here are the guidelines related to idol preparation in Cachar

1. Durga idols will only be allowed upto a size of 5 feet. Idols beyond this height will not be permitted.
2. Durga puja idol should all together(5 deities) be in a single frame(Ek-katham) and not in separate form.
3. For carrying of idols for puja only a group of 5(five) persons will be allowed following all Covid protocols.