Kolkata: The palpable public anger that defined Durga Puja last year, following the gruesome rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata's R.G Kar Medical College Hospital, has been replaced this year by resurgent scenes of gleeful pandal hopping and mass festivity, marking a striking study-in-contrast.

During last year’s Durga Puja, the streets of Kolkata saw a massive outpouring of public anger against the West Bengal government over alleged attempts to shield the masterminds behind the rape and murder of the doctor. Thousands of citizens, civil society representatives, and celebrities joined the protest movement, which had been initiated by a group of junior doctors.

However, just a year later, this year’s Durga Puja saw the return of the usual festive scenes -- gleeful pandal hopp

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