Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Holi Hollee! Happy Holi

Posted : March 26, 2005 at 8:38 pm [IST]

Yes, or Yea! I missed it. It is not that I am very enthusiast celebrator of this festival. But I used to be once in my young days. Now even when in India, I hardly come out. The friend circle has vanished with age. It has hardly any significance any more. But certainly, the neighbors do come and we offer some sweets after putting colored powders on each other. But the aggressiveness is no more for us. You can understand that from photographs. My wife still loves it to be more active. The best, that I remember, used to be the Holi in the factory premises before the holiday the factory used to be closed. You could see the sea of people disobeying all instructions and threats of disciplinary actions playing colors. Suddenly, some one used to put color from some point and I could never know who he was.

But I miss my village very much on this day. I always wish to be there on this day. There is an age-old practice of starting the day procession with holi songs from our residence and move through the lanes through out the village. It used to go on up to midnight and finish with some songs that used to be called Chaitta, named after the month that was starting. Once I reached in the remote village almost 14 kilometers from the highway at 2AM and slept on a cot outside without telling anyone. I had used the factory cars going to Delhi to reach up to the nearest point. Suddenly I found my aunty coming and offering some food. She knew I must be very hungry. I was so happy.

But let me come out with my wishes for this Holi, when I am thousands of miles away from the sweet village home.

I have only one wish that all Indians vow to get rid of the age-old curse and ills of caste- barriers and caste-politics. Let us burn all the ill feelings because of some thing that divides us in the fire of HOLI pyre. Let the knowledge prevail and India and we, in turn, excel.

P.S. I would have loved that the Indian community in this ‘Mansion Grove’ housing complex would have got together to celebrate festival. At least all would have come out with the sweets in an open place and greeted each other. Why should they hesitate to meet each other even on such an occasion? Are they ashamed of being recognized as Indians? I feel bad as there are in so large a number.

- Indra

Category: Religious/Social issues |