A Durga Puja committee in West Bengal has inducted two women from Russia and Ukraine, the countries engaged in a bitter war, into one of its sub-committees to spread the spirit of global amity through the state’s largest festival, which was accorded heritage status by UNESCO.

Laman Rasulova of Russia and Olga of Ukraine, both of whom had visited Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival in 2014 and 2017 as members of an international team, are now part of the team of Salkia Shanti Sangha, a club in neighbouring Howrah which has been organising the puja for over 50 years.
 

“Both Rasulova and Olga were social workers. They were struck by the spirit and colourfulness of the festival. They gave their consent to be honorary members of a sub-committee which will monitor the aesthetic aspect of the puja,” said Debarun Chatterjee, a joint secretary of the puja committee.They had visited the city at other times also, Chatterjee said.
 

“They know the entire process – from the preparations that began a few months before the pujas to the immersion of idols. They liked the concept of impermanence of everything in life. Olga is a Christian but she has kept a photograph of Maa Durga in the camp that she runs for war-affected people in Ukraine,” he said.
 

To a question, Chatterjee said the two honorary members did not want to disclose their current locations in Russia and Ukraine for security reasons.
 

The 59-year-old puja committee has a plan to host a video conference with Rasulova and Olga in the run-up to the puja, and later post it on its Facebook page.
 

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Salkia Shanti Sangha got the phone numbers of Rasulova and Olga from an NRI who works in promoting Indian culture abroad.
 

Chatterjee said, “Kolkata’s Durga Puja has got the heritage tag. What can be better if two persons from warring countries can be linked through Durga Puja?” In December last year, UNESCO accorded Intangible Cultural Heritage tag to Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal.
 

“We also have a plan to inform people what the two foreigners think of the Durga Puja, their message about the need for peace. These will be projected as video clippings on LED panels near the puja pandal,” Chatterjee said.
 

The puja committee also wants to bring the “two daughters” of Russia and Ukraine during the inauguration of the puja in late September or early October, hoping the war will come to an end by then.
This year, the Durga Puja festival will be held between October 2 and 5.