Why Dhirendra Shastri’s Durga Puja veg food remark sparked a Bengal row
Shastri’s appeal against consuming meat during Durga Puja has put the BJP in a bind as its leaders defend Bengal’s fish-and-meat culture
Why has spiritual preacher Dhirendra Shastri’s remark on consuming meat during Durga Puja sparked such a controversy in West Bengal? The answer lies in the differences between the Shakta and Vaishnava traditions of Hinduism, and in the distinct religious practices associated with each.
While the Shakta tradition, deeply rooted in Bengal, has a long history of worshipping the Goddess and, in some traditions, offering meat to the deity, many Vaishnava traditions emphasise satvik and vegetarian practices.
Understanding this distinction is key to understanding why Shastri’s remarks have struck such a sensitive chord in Bengal, says political and social observers in the state, which is seeing BJP rule for the first time ever.
Different paths of worship
The Federal’s Samir Purkayastha, in an interaction with The Federa Desh, said both Shakta and Vaishnava traditions are old and important traditions within Hinduism, but there are several differences in their deities and methods of worship. In the Shakta tradition, the Goddess, or Shakti, is considered supreme. The worship of Maa Durga, Maa Kali and other forms of the Goddess is a central part of this tradition. The Shakta tradition has a particularly strong influence in West Bengal and eastern India.
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Some strands of the Shakta tradition have a long history of offering meat to the Goddess and performing animal sacrifice. In some places, the meat is consumed as prasad after the worship. However, not all Shakta Hindus follow these practices, nor is meat offered at every Durga Puja.
In contrast, the Vaishnava tradition centres on the worship of Lord Vishnu and his avatars, Rama and Krishna. Devotion, chanting and kirtan are key features of this tradition. Many strands of Vaishnavism emphasise satvik and vegetarian food.
Food, faith and politics
The controversy is particularly sensitive in Bengal, where food habits and religious traditions have long been part of the state’s political discourse. During the Assembly election, the TMC had claimed that a BJP government could restrict the consumption of fish, eggs and meat, forcing BJP leaders to publicly counter the narrative.
BJP leaders, including MP Anurag Thakur, were seen publicly eating fish to counter the TMC’s claims. But in the same Bengal where the BJP had used food habits to rebut that narrative during the election, Dhirendra Shastri’s appeal against eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja has now put the party in an uncomfortable position.
The remarks have also given the Opposition fresh ammunition, with the Trinamool Congress and the Congress attacking the BJP government led by Suvendu Adhikari. They have accused the government of insulting Bengal’s culture and said Shastri’s remarks could create unrest and division in society.
The controversy has also taken a legal turn, with a complaint seeking an FIR against Dhirendra Shastri. The complaint was filed at Kolkata’s Bhawanipur police station by Pradip Prasad, president of the district Congress committee.
Bengal’s food culture tests BJP
The remarks have left the BJP and the Suvendu Adhikari government trying to distance themselves from Shastri’s comments. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said, “How can people in Bengal not eat fish and meat? Swami Vivekananda had also said that mutton would be offered to Maa Kali. If someone considers himself above Vivekananda, it is extremely dangerous.”
BJP leader and West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul also defended Bengal-s food culture, saying, “In West Bengal, we all look forward to Durga Puja, during which we eat meat, hilsa and fish. Durga Puja in Bengal is different from that in other states.”
Also read | Bengal BJP chief rejects Bageshwar Baba’s call to shun non-veg during Durga Puja
Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has also opposed Shastri’s appeal. He said the Shakta Hindu tradition has a long history of offering meat to Maa Durga and Maa Kali and that in some places devotees consume it as prasad during Durga Puja. He said any interference in the tradition would not be tolerated.
The episode has brought back an old political fault line in Bengal: The BJP, which once publicly embraced the state’s fish-and-meat culture to counter the TMC’s election narrative, is now having to respond to remarks by Dhirendra Shastri calling for non-vegetarian food to be kept away from Durga Puja.
