“Since centuries India has held aloft the light of liberalism, tolerance, humanity, harmony and unity in diversity” – perhaps one of the most commented sentences!
Indeed if it is true, then why full-fledged citizens of this very land had been rendered as “untouchable” and administered inhuman torture and violence and discrimination since centuries(with the poison still thriving in many regions)! What about a series of communal riots or pogroms continuing since ages including gory partition of erstwhile British-administered India! Violence in the name of language, race and states were/are not uncommon. So the fact remains that still we have to walk many many miles before truly doing justice to India’s lofty humanitarian description. Mere sharing a politically demarcated map is not enough, psychological unity remains the key of real integrity.
And that brings us to another comment hardly based on reality. “Let the darkness of evil get burnt and a new light of goodness emerge” --- perhaps one of the most repeated lines revolving the spirit of Diwali (actually the most abused line).
Will we just stop a bit and indulge in a bit of introspection and contemplation? Now celebration of Diwali is not a recent phenomenon, rather a tradition thriving since centuries involving generation after generation rendering it perhaps the most pan-Indian festival.
Yet how can darkness afford to stand ground that too with full flow! Racism to communalism to casteism to violent separatism to corruption to land grabbing to red tapism to muscle flexing to trafficking to child exploitation to human bondage to sexual atrocities to torture of the strong upon the weak --- sheer darkness all around! Also darkness invades our mind through silly superstitions and Taliban-resembling intolerance towards all things “Other”! And physical emotional psychological economic violence and exploitation happen right within homes or families also! Rather it is often seen to be knocking out all norms of sanity and goodness from the ring with a series of punches, hooks, jabs and upper as well as lower cuts!
After all, at the end of the day it is not Diwali night; rather human beings will have to play the greatest role behind removal of darkness of evil. At best they can draw the spirit of Diwali to achieve it, but concrete action needs to be taken by us only promoting the mere theory to a practical entity. Thus it can be easily concluded that we are not walking the talk reducing the much highlighted spirit of Diwali into a bankrupt rhetoric or farce.
As a matter of fact on the very night of “removal of darkness”, we are at our devilish “best”! Right from early evening till dead of night, atrocious sound-emitting crackers reverberate throughout the horizon. What a barbaric torture upon the sick, senior citizens infants and domestic animals! Less said about environmental pollution the better! Moreover, these crackers also serve as a great avenue to display monetary muscle --- who explode the maximum amount of crackers or whose sound is most ear-shattering heart-splitting! And not to forget that a lot of tears and sighs are also embedded within these crackers which are made through the hard toil of severely exploited child laborers --- the innocent vulnerable ones being made to slave day in and day out in the most unfriendly dangerous conditions. Don't it hurt our conscience a bit! If we learn to visualise the tears and utter helplessness of those hapless kids before bursting a firecracker, we will certainly succeed in desisting ourselves from reaching out to the match box. If all people are inspired to not sponsor the industries which exploit children, the units are bound to suffer an immense financial loss compelling them to refrain from exploitation of children. And instead of being merely rhetoric, different welfare schemes need to be urgently launched for the rescued children. Apart from the rhetoric of gigantic statues or Bullet Trains, even Space/Moon/Mars missions can wait; at first human dignity and child welfare needs to be ensured.
To eradicate the dreaded policy of apartheid, the world did not wage a war with arms against South Africa. Instead, the international community merely boycotted the country from every affair. Along with the struggle of Nelson Mandela, the tactics of boycott also played a great role in putting an end to the apartheid regime. Similarly, the inhuman fire cracker industry can also be taught a lesson if we refuse to get lured by the “joy” of bursting crackers and instead learn to boycott it.
It is high time we learn to respect Diwali by awarding its due through practical significance i.e. literally removing darkness from all corners of the society, including our minds.
(The views expressed are personal)
