Singur Pujo

Location: A Lakshmi pujo committee meeting, para (neighbourhood) clubhouse, Singur, 2009

Paltu (Secretary, pujo committee, Trinamool thug): Manikda, what are you staring at?

Manikda (President, pujo committee, Trinamool thug): Arre Paltu, I’m just admiring the open spaces around the clubhouse…Ki shundor…Isn’t it like a painting? One day the entire state will be like this - open and lush...But there's something puzzling me - where are the farmers?

Paltu: Manikda, don’t you know that ex-TATA land is not tillable for the next 10 years? The farmers who got their land back thanks to Mamatadidi & us are sitting at home twiddling their thumbs and depressed…

Manikda: In that case Paltu, we have to have a great pujo this time so that Lakshmi thakur (Goddess of wealth) is happy with us…We have to have the grandest murti and the best caterers…The farmers need to enjoy themselves so that they vote for us in the upcoming elections...They also need Lakshmi thakur's blessings otherwise they’ll start committing suicide like their counterparts in Vidharba…
How much money have we raised?

Paltu: Manikda, Lakshmi thakur is very happy with us…It’s been raining money…As promised, Naruti and Lero Londa have sent cheques for Rs.15 lakhs each…Now we can have the biggest and greatest pujo ever…In fact, why don’t we have Lakshmi thakur’s face made in the image of Mamatadidi?

Manikda: Good idea…Life is easy now…I miss the old days when we had to go from house to house to collect chanda (subscriptions)…I remember at times we had to even break windows with hockey sticks, slash car tyres and intimidate the boudis for money…It was great fun…I wonder what Mamatadidi has planned for us next...