Mahishasura as Ram Rahim irks Santhals

Tribals claim he was their ancestor, unhappy over portrayal as convict

Attention to detail: Artist Satya Paul modelling a demon idol after convicted godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

Satya Paul, a potter-artisan in his mid-50s, is a worried man. He has been commissioned to depict Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the godman convicted of rape, as an asur (demon) for Durga Puja. The goddess Durga kills the asur , usually described as a man with evil qualities in Bengali narratives, and Durga Puja is about the fight between the good and the evil.

“I’m in a terrible situation as the [ puja ] organisers want the asur to look like Ram Rahim and I cannot imagine an archetype as I have never made one before,” said Mr. Paul, who has been modelling clay for four decades.

Internet to the rescue

The committee members organising this puja — the Dinhata Exchange-Morh Durga Puja Committee in Cooch Behar district of north Bengal — addressed the problem by “extracting a smiling Ram Rahim” from the Internet, said committee’s joint secretary, Bina Majumdar.

“The idea came to the organisers too late, when the skull and even the face of Mahishasur had not only been completed but had dried,” said Mr. Paul. “Now, I am closely observing Ram Rahim’s eyes and beard and trying my best to replicate some features from the image given to me,” he added.

The idea of having Ram Rahim as

asur , however, has annoyed a section of locals, especially Santhals, who worship the

asur . “The upper-caste, Brahminical Hindu Bengali society does not care for the sentiments of other communities,” said Nityananda Hembram, head of the leading Santhal Samaj.

“Adivasis have their counter-narratives on the slaughter of Mahishasur. Challenging the Brahminical interpretation of history, they claim that Mahisasur was their powerful and valiant ancestor, and an unfortunate tragic hero in real life,” said Maroona Murmu, Assistant Professor of History at Jadavpur University.

The argument that Mahishasur is “an egalitarian king” has now confused the puja committee. Ms. Majumdar admitted they had not explored this angle while planning their asur .

For Mr. Paul, though, the challenge is different. “I’m giving Ram Rahim a garish golden and white vest but what do you think would be the ideal wear below the waist — a blue dhoti with a gold border or a white border,” he asked. He will hand over the Ram Rahim asur and the goddess to the committee on Monday night.