Holi and the forgotten holiness

By Rajneesh Bhandari/Nepal

This year's Holi- one of the greatest festivals of colors- is over with much fun fare. But if we look back to it, the festivity has ended with positive as well as unpleasant and unforgotten memories behind.

For Hindus worldwide Holi is a festival of victory and colors and the message of unity and brotherhood it floats is even of greater significance. The recent trend of putting colors and playing with water is a good way of celebration as it exemplifies a higher degree of co-operation and friendliness. It's one of the biggest group festivals and is celebrated in memory of the miraculous escape of young Prahlad when Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire to kill him. According to the history Holika was burnt and Prahlad escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion towards Bishnu.

Traditionally the festival is celebrated as victory of good over evil. But with the passage of years the way we are celebrating the festival of colors is getting offending and inhumane. People have made it mundane through their in-humane behaviors. The way people especially girls are targeted weeks prior the festival knocks is very unethical. It shows that we don't have our etiquette and have really forgotten our norms and values and gone spiritually bankrupt.

One of my friends met a serious accident because she was hit by balloons filled with water by a group of hooligans while she was going to her office. Many of my other friends were feeling very pathetic while they shared similar incidents of water-filled plastic packs coming upon them days before the festival approached.

On the day of holi, it's totally acceptable to throw water and balloons to those people who enjoy playing. But there are people who really don't like to play with colors. One of my friends used an umbrella to walk to the office. I myself used a raincoat so that my clothes were safe. Many of my friends working in a private office took a leave. Is this the way a festival should be celebrated? Being hit by dirty water and even eggs is nowhere related with festival celebration. May be this is our way of being modern by adopting inhumane and disgusting practices.

It's high time that we should think about our actions. Plastics thrown on other not just arouse rage but also make the city dirty. The chemical used in the color affect the skin and it's not human to put colors on others without the consensus.
Yes, Holi is a great festival and it should be celebrated with much funfair but with consensus. If some force is being used I think even the human right of other is violated. It should be celebrated welcoming spring- the season full with colors.