KOLKATA: A group of citizens in New Town has spent a part of their Durga Puja budget to bring cheer to 250 Muslim families in a nearby village, by gifting food and saris to women and clothes to children for the festive days ahead.
Members of New Town Citizens’ Welfare Fraternity on Wednesday drove to Panapur, around 15km from New Town, and handed out the clothes and food, worth Rs 3 lakh, to the families, most of them belonging to the financially weaker sections.
The fraternity collaborated with Ammucare charitable trust for the programme on Wednesday afternoon but the preparations had begun much in advance.
The money for donation was carved out of the Durga Puja funds by the members of the fraternity.
“Durga Puja is not exclusive to any particular community. People from other faiths are connected with various aspects of this festival, which transcends religious boundaries and embraces multiple faiths,” said Samir Gupta, secretary of the welfare organization.
Members of the group had also been instrumental in helping those in distress during the second wave of the pandemic in April-May this year.
“Our families buy new clothes as well as other things during Durga Puja for the people of the economically disadvantaged sections. The idea behind helping these people is to connect them with the festival and convey to them the message that the festival is as much theirs as ours,” said Gupta.
The donation was made in a small ceremony arranged by the villagers on Wednesday afternoon. Several families had gathered before the members of the organization arrived. “We noticed how their faces lit up when they saw us. The children and women were happy to receive new clothes from us,” said Gupta.
Many puja organizers have scaled down celebrations owing to the pandemic. They are utilising some part of their budget to reach out to those, who are under financial distress. “Every year, we try to do something that can bring a smile on the faces of others. So, this programme was a part of our plan,” said another member of the forum.
