Dhubri priests decline to perform puja as COVID test made must for them

A CORRESPONDENT

DHUBRI: In view of the instruction in the notification no. HLA.301/2020/120 dated October 12, 2020 and issued by the Principal Secretary, Government of Assam, Health and Family Welfare Department, Dhubri Anchalik Brahman Samaj took unanimous resolution not to undergo COVID test and not to perform puja also.

The notification has left nearly 500 community puja organizers in a fix as they can neither stop puja preparation at this juncture nor is it possible for them to follow all the instructions notified for performing community Durga Puja.

In government notification, beside various other instructions, COVID test for priests, dhaki and cook is a must prior to beginning of puja rituals, and this has irked the community puja organizers. While talking to The Sentinel, president of Dhubri Ward No. 2 Durga Mandir, Partha Pradip Dutta said that if on testing the assigned priest was found to be COVID positive, it was next to impossible to find his replacement due to dearth of priests in Dhubri town.

Similar crisis would emerge in case the assigned dhaki (drummer) and cook from Brahmin community test positive, and if any one or all of the elected or selected office bearers of the Durga Puja celebration sub-committees test positive. "If this happens, who can be approached for performing the rituals and other works necessary for performing Durga Puja?" said Dutta while pointing out the problems of following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

Dutta has written to Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Anant Lal Gyani on the SOP given in the notification, urging upon him to review the notification and do the needful to ensure that community Durga Puja is celebrated smoothly.

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