You can take a Bengali away from Bengal during Durga Puja but you cannot take Durga Puja away from a Bengali. Nearly a century ago, Netaji proved this much to the chagrin of the colonial administration.
Subhas Chandra Bose in Mandalay Jail
In 1925, in a crackdown on the nationalist movement in Calcutta, Subhas Chandra Bose was deported to Mandalay Jail in Burma.
Some prominent Bengali faces undergoing incarceration at Mandalay were Biplabi Troilokya, Satyendra Mitra, Bipin Behari Ganguli, and Surendra Mohan Ghosh, among others.
The Spirit of Durga Puja Behind Bars
As autumn approached, the festive spirit entered Mandalay jail. Bose, along with the others, decided to organize a Durga Puja inside the prison.
The estimated budget was 800 rupees. The prisoners raised 140 rupees among themselves and appealed to the prison administration for the rest. However, the appeal was rejected.
Bose refused to back down and led Indian prisoners in Mandalay jail in a protest for Puja funds, demanding equal treatment as European prisoners for their Christmas celebrations.
Bose's determination and fast-in protest garnered attention, forcing the colonial government to relent and approve ₹30 per prisoner. This small victory allowed the prisoners to celebrate Puja with fervor.
In a heartfelt letter to his mother, Bose wrote:
“Today is Mahashtami…This year, we will worship Shri Durga here. Mother probably didn’t forget us…If the Mother keeps coming like this even once a year, then I think the life of imprisonment will not be very difficult.”
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