Kolkata: A fresh political controversy has erupted in West Bengal over food habits during Durga Puja after Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Baba, appealed to Bengalis to avoid non-vegetarian food during the festival.
West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday rejected the idea that eating meat during Durga Puja should be treated as a controversy. He said Bengal has its own religious and cultural traditions and people should be free to decide what they eat.
Ghosh pointed to the long-standing practice of goat sacrifice during Durga Puja and said the meat is consumed as prasad in several traditions. He also said that while saints may recommend vegetarian food from the perspective of health or personal belief, such views should not be imposed on everyone.
“I don’t eat anything except fish. But whoever wants to eat whatever they want should be allowed to do so,” Ghosh said, according to PTI.
His comments came a day after West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya also distanced the party from Shastri’s appeal. Bhattacharya said no religious figure from outside Bengal could decide what Bengalis should eat. He defended the state’s traditional consumption of fish and meat, including goat meat associated with Navami celebrations.
Shastri had recently addressed a gathering in Howrah and appealed for restrictions on the sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food and liquor around Durga Puja. He also urged people to observe Navaratri and criticised those who consume meat during religious festivities. His remarks quickly triggered reactions from political parties and sections of civil society in Bengal.
The Congress has since filed a police complaint against Shastri, arguing that an outsider should not dictate Bengal’s traditional food practices. The controversy has also drawn criticism from other political voices, turning what began as a religious appeal into a wider debate over Bengali identity, culture and personal choice.
Ghosh also criticised successive attempts to influence people's food choices, saying individuals should have the freedom to decide their own diets. At the same time, he argued that the traditional character of Durga Puja in Bengal has been diluted by excessive commercialisation and themed celebrations.
The dispute comes just weeks before Durga Puja, when millions across West Bengal prepare to celebrate the festival. With fish and meat forming an important part of traditional Bengali cuisine, the remarks have placed food habits and religious customs at the centre of a fresh political and cultural debate.
Reader Comments 0