The catkin flowers swaying in the winds, the sight of night jasmines, the iconic Mahisasurmardini by Birendra Krishna Bhadra, or the workers sweating it out to complete the pandal works, all these add to the excitement of Bengal’s biggest festival to celebrate Durga Puja.
As lakhs of people throng the streets and by-lanes of the city for Pandal hopping, crowd management becomes key. This Durga Puja, Eveready marks the beginning of Devi Paksha, with a unique initiative which aims to share messages in public interest keeping in mind women’s safety especially in crowded spaces.
At a time when the conversation around women’s safety has taken centre stage, the initiative christened ‘Eveready Siren – Pujoy Awaaj Tolar Power’ (The Power to Raise Your Voice during Durga Puja) comes at the right time and aligns perfectly with the spirit of Durga Puja: a celebration of woman power. This is in continuation to the launch of Eveready Siren Torch that enables anyone in a vulnerable situation to raise an alarm by simply pressing a button and emitting a siren sound at 100 decibels.
As part of the initiative, Eveready has partnered with several of Kolkata’s most popular Durga Puja pandals including – Dumdum Park Tarun Sangha, Hindustan Park, and Jodhpur Park-95 Pally.
· In these pandals, Eveready will take over the megaphones which traditionally have been used by male presenters to make public announcements, and will replace it with female voices giving out some tongue-in-cheek messages ensuring crowds at a pandal remain cordial & safe.
· Eveready has roped in singer of national repute Usha Uthup and popular Bengali actress Ritabhari Chakraborty, who shall be reminding all pandal-hoppers of the importance of respecting women during the festive celebrations through these audio messages.
The messages reflect on the everyday issues faced by the women in crowded places and send out emphatic messages:
1. Thank you for keeping the line moving and drawing the line at making unwanted moves
2. Try keeping your eyes on the pandal, and avoid any scandal.
3. In a moving crowd, only you are in charge of your valuables and your values.
To provide a safe environment in the pandal for the women visitors, Eveready has also introduced a Siren Squad: a group of volunteers who will oversee women’s safety & crowd management aspects inside the Puja pandals of– Dumdum Park Tarun Sangha, Hindustan Park, and Jodhpur Park-95 Pally. The volunteers will be seen wearing T-Shirts with these messages printed on them.
Anirban Banerjee, Senior Vice President & Business Unit Head – Battery & Flashlight said “Durga Puja celebrates the power of Goddess Durga, a symbol of strength and protection. As a brand with a Purpose, at Eveready we believe that women should feel empowered to protect themselves, and our Siren Torch is designed to give them the confidence to do so. This campaign is our way of contributing to the safety of women during the biggest festival of Bengal, and we are honored to have icons like Usha Uthup and Ritabhari Chakraborty lending their voices to this important cause.”
Commenting on the association Ritabhari Chakraborty said “Durga Puja is a celebration of the goddess within each of us. But to truly honor the spirit of this festival, we must ensure that every woman feels safe and empowered. The Eveready Siren Torch is a powerful tool that allows women to raise their voice in times of need, making sure they are heard loud and clear. As we worship the strength of Durga this Puja, let’s also pledge to protect the strength and safety of every woman around us.”
Renowned singer Usha Uthup stated “For me, Durga Puja is all about love, light, and joy. It’s a festival that brings people together, but it’s also a time to reflect on the importance of protecting and empowering women. The Eveready Siren Torch stands as a symbol of that empowerment, giving women the confidence to raise their voices and ensure their safety. I’m proud to be a part of this initiative because every woman deserves to feel as powerful as Durga herself, especially during a festival that celebrates her.”