Cuttack Chaos: Curfew and Internet Blackout Cast Shadow Over Durga Puja’s Triumph of Good – Is Harmony Fracturing in Odisha?
As the echoes of dhaak drums and chants of ‘Jai Maa Durga’ fade into an uneasy silence, Odisha’s historic silver city of Cuttack finds itself under siege—not by mythical demons, but by a very real specter of communal discord. What began as a vibrant Durga Puja idol immersion procession on October 3 has spiraled into a 36-hour curfew, a 24-hour internet shutdown, and a city-wide bandh call, leaving 25 injured (including police) and residents hunkered down behind shuttered doors.