A housing complex on the southern fringes of the city, where several elderly residents have fallen prey to cyber fraud, is turning its Durga Puja theme into an awareness campaign.
The Southwinds complex on Southern Bypass has chosen “Cyber Durga” as its theme this year to highlight the growing threat of cybercrime and educate people on how to stay safe online.
Drawing parallels between the mythological birth of Mahisasur and the inception of cybercrime in Jamtara, Jharkhand, the organisers have woven a narrative that culminates in the National Cyber Crime Helpline, 1930, symbolising Durga’s trishool — the ultimate weapon to defeat cyber demons.
A large portion of the pandal will be used to display messages about types of cyber fraud. “Instead of commercial branding, we are creating a Cyber Wall with real-life case studies, covering scams like digital arrest, cryptocurrency fraud, investment fraud... and reward point fraud,” said organiser Indranil Acharya.
The committee has also developed a digital story where children and residents are transformed into animated characters using AI. The story begins in Jamtara and ends with the helpline 1930, the tool to reclaim lost money and defeat fraudsters. “We are comparing the 1930 helpline to Ma Durga’s trishool. The message is simple: Only by reporting cybercrime immediately can we recover our money and stop the fraud,” Acharya said.
The campaign also addresses AI-related scams, including voice cloning. “We want people to understand how AI can be misused,” said Joydeep Ghatak, a Puja committee member.
Police initiatives
Kolkata Police are also using the Puja platform to promote cyber awareness. At a coordination meeting on Wednesday, police commissioner Manoj Verma stressed the importance of reaching out to the young and elderly through pandals.
Deputy commissioner (cyber crime) Abhishek Modi told Metro on Thursday
that kiosks will be set up in selected pandals to distribute awareness material, conduct Q&A sessions, and screen audiovisuals on cybercrime prevention.
“We are preparing material for all Puja pandals, which can be customised and displayed at the venues,” he said.
Durga Puja has long served as a platform for socially relevant messaging. With nearly 3,000 registered Puja committees in the city and many more across Bengal, police districts like Calcutta will, for the first time, include cyber awareness posters alongside health advisories against vector-borne diseases.