Demonetization has its impact on Rasalila

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 20: Love-making of Lord Srikrish with His consort Srimati Radhika and other Braja Gopis, popularly known as Rasalila, also failed to get rid of the impact of demonetization by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

As we all know, Rasalila is not a lila (love-making) of Radha-Krish alone. Apart from Rasalila, it is a social, cultural and religious congregation where people of different faiths show their expertise and do business. Exhibitions, feats, dramas, melodramas and other forms of altertive media like puppet shows are integral parts of such Raax mohotsavs. Assam, being is a land neo-vaishvism under the guidance of Srimanta Sankardeva,  is famous for its Raax mohotsav. However, the current crunch of hard cash in the market has its impact on all, the organizing committees, traders, artistes, drama or bhao troupes, and others who are integral to such mohotsavs. Without hard cash, doing business in such festivals, making cultural troupes perform etc., is next to impossible. Though a few big stalls do accept the demonetized 500 and 1000-rupee notes, most of the small traders refuse to accept them much to the displeasure of the visitors. This is not all. When visitors want to pay for their purchases with 2000-rupee notes, the traders express their ibility to pay them back the changes.    

Such a situation is glaring in the Raax mohotsavs at Palasbari and Mirza. Debojit Das, the general secretary of Palasbari Raax mohotsav, said: “We had Rs 40-lakh budget. However, the demonetization of 500 and 1000-rupee denomitions has its direct impact on the festival. We’re in troubled waters. We can’t the daily-wage labourers engaged in the festival as changes are a scarce.”

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