The Hackneyed accounts on Diwali

It’s interesting that though people have different perceptions, sometimes they are easily led in herds. As the mood of the season calls for, much has been written about Diwali- different people but same structure of write ups. First they all begin by explaining “what is Diwali”, the etymology as well as the mythology. Then they grimace on how the youth of today has forgotten the true meaning of the festival, how the “good over evil” is just a phrase known but not followed and finally ends with sermons over why not to burst fireworks- environmental issues and all.

Now this raises a few questions in my mind- why reproduce the history in a flowery jargon- you’re not offering a fresh perspective, just rephrasing sentences, jumbling words and putting the same content ! What fun is that?

A rose is a rose is a rose- whoever calls it by whatever name!

So stop writing about the history just because you want to write something! Anything!

Write only if you can offer something in your writing that others already haven’t! Write about the customs less known, the stories rarely told and the myths barely heard about. Write about what the festival means to you! Stop rehashing wiki content!

Second issue at hand- youth of today and festival of lights- Oh, how empathetically is this written! Seriously, you have a problem at hand and all you care about it is to write an article and do nothing? Who is to be blamed if the younger generation isn’t aware of the significance of Diwali? Whose responsibility is it to correct their path? No one answers! Just write your hearts out and forget all about it seems the mantra! Educate them, talk to them, tell them. Don’t act as though you are helpless and all that’s happening is inevitable! There are some sensible youngsters out there, willing to listen in awe. Instead of giving them iphones or pods or plants-whatever they are called, give them books- Ramayana, Mahabharatha to read! Make the kids understand why they are dressed in new clothes, why they eat the special food on a festival. Do that instead of blogging out your grievances!

Oh and this is my favorite part- Fireworks. Much has been written discouraging children from playing with fireworks. I get it completely that it has a very negative effect on the environment but what good does your gas emitting car/motorcycle do to the environment? Now you will tell me that the measures of pollution are far greater on one day than the rest of the year. So that’s how you justify yourself? Great, nothing left for me to say here hypocrites.

But what about the children whose life is lost in making these cursed crackers, you may ask. Then what about child labor, I ask you. What have you done with respect to that? Do you actively oppose it? Are you sure you never used a child laborer in your house before or haven’t known someone who has? Those children work there, at those factories because the custom of child labor in prevalent everywhere in the country! you are responsible for their death as much as any of those factory people.

And fireworks finds a mention in the history too. They say lamps lit the streets and fireworks lit up the sky in celebration of Lord Rama’s return. The essence of Diwali is all the lessons it carries as well as the fireworks! For kids, its one of the most awaited festivals of the year, at least, not so long ago, in my age it was! How hilarious that you should think an ipad in their hands isn’t half as dangerous as a cracker? I feel sorry for the kids who are robbed of their childhood this way.

There’s got to be a way out, a way around? Find that way and let the fun persist!

Ah, who is listening to these ramblings anyway?!
Go on, explain Diwali- mutilate it letter by letter, let the hackneyed hypocrites speak up yet again, and let the sermons over crackers continue...Oh forget, it's Diwali!!