No Durga Puja in Sonagachi in year 2016

Sex workers of Sonagachi organised Durga Puja for the last three years but there will be no Durga Puja at Sonagachi this year. The poor girls and women of the red light area would kept themselves away from the greatest festival of Bengal. The four days of the Durga Puja will have no meaning for them. There would be no Sindoor Khela at Sonagachi this year. The festival days will be simply just like the other days.

Bharati  Dey, Joint secretary of Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Samiti (DMSS) said that this year there will be no Durga Puja at Sonagachi. Durga Puja at Sonagachi started at 2013 with the permission from court. The puja was arranged in small place and the space was insufficient for almost 10,000 inhabitants of Sonagachi and other sex workers from different places of Kolkata and districts.

Sex workers of Sonagachi wanted to arrange Durga Puja covering larger space but court permission is not available as a bigger puja at a narrow lane may create traffic problems.

Minister Dr. Shashi Panja inaugurated Durga Puja 2015 at Sonagachi. Let's hope responsible persons would come forward to bring light in the lives of the poor girls who are also a part of Ma Durga.