On Kali Controversy, Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra Has A Poetic Comeback

Mahua Moitra had said she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a “meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess” as every person has the right to worship God in their own way.

Mahua Moitra, facing multiple cases over her comments on Goddess Kali, today sent a sharp message to her critics through a poem credited to “A Citizen of India”.

The seven-stanza poem “Be Careful, Mahua!” takes on those who “assault our freedom” and criticizes those who are “too scared to speak against the march of hate”.

“Be careful, they said to her, You’ll end up getting jailed! Thank you for your concern, she said. But I think that ship has sailed,” the poem says.

“Don’t tell her to ‘be careful’, stand with her instead, shine a light and speak some truth into that pit of dread” – the last few lines could apply to her party, which had disowned and condemned her comments.

Mahua Moitra had made the controversial comments at an India Today event, asked about a poster shared by filmmaker Leena Manimekalai featuring the Goddess smoking.

The MP had said she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a “meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess” as every person has the right to worship God in their own way.

“For me, Goddess Kali is a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess. And if you go to Tarapith (a major Shakti peeth in West Bengal’s Birbhum district), you will see sadhus smoking. That is the version of Kali people worship (there). I, within Hinduism, being a Kali worshipper, have the right to imagine Kali in that way; that is my freedom,” said Ms Moitra.

The Trinamool Congress said it did not endorse the comments.

“The comments made by @MahuaMoitra at the #IndiaTodayConclaveEast2022 and her views expressed on Goddess Kali have been made in her personal capacity and are NOT ENDORSED BY THE PARTY in ANY MANNER OR FORM. All India Trinamool Congress strongly condemns such comments,” the party tweeted.

CommentsMs Moitra yesterday unfollowed her party though she continues to follow her party chief Mamata Banerjee.