Cartoon of the week 7: Durga Puja Chaanda Collection Service

In several of my earlier blog articles, I wrote about our sensitivity to paying Durga Puja contributions (popularly known as Chaanda). The Puja organizers have tried to be innovative in extracting (no I never said extorting) the funds from the pockets of the attendees – they suggested (very strongly) donation amounts which partially resolved the problem but not the unpredictability. They have now resorted to early registration to ensure the committed funds (doesn’t matter if the contributors fail to attend due to weather or personal issues) and again they are successful to a great extent (Kallol has stopped early registration two weeks in advance and have declared “House Full”). Now, if this too fails in the coming years, the organizers can use the age old technique of door to door collection service, as we did back in our home country. This style of collection has a special appeal to many old timers. The collectors can use a barrage of methods, the maastan approach, the pleading approach, the good cop bad cop routine etc. etc. Some of the contributors may even like the personal touch and treat the collectors with some home made delicacies served with a cup of tea. So folks, those of you have been reluctant to register early or refused to succumb to the strong suggestions, look out for the chaanda collection service car on your driveway next year.