Kolkata
A day after the declaration of Assembly election results in West Bengal, residents of Bhowanipore including traditional idol-makers expressed a mix of relief, optimism and expectations from the incoming BJP government, about the challenges they have faced over the years and the changes they now hope to see. Members of the murtikar (idol-maker) community said their livelihoods had been under strain, citing issues such as disruption in the supply of raw materials like mud and lack of institutional support. Many alleged that access to opportunities and benefits was often tied to political compliance.
