Diwali: Changing thoughts, stubborn traditions

The two things that make an " isolation chamber" an instrument for torture are the space that has shrunk around you and the time that has expanded to eternity. I wonder how much of here(dont ask where) looks like that.

I have forgotten how many diwali it had been, and when exactly this happened. But for some occasion like today, there was a vibrant discussion. Diwali it is today, diwali it was, diwali it would be that way too. Only they were hoping to celebrate without crackers, deafening explosions and chocking pollution.

I have been receiving many many e-mails not to celebrate diwali this year. Well, it could be a symbol of cultural dominance, it could also be an instrument of hinduisition of secular institutions but you can not deny the fun and excitement the crackers bring. That brings me, squarely to the question we have debated fervently few years back. "Should we bust crackers ?" I know my stand that time. I was opposed to crackers, and my line of defense were rock solid. I wreck the nerve of the most vociferous pro-cracker and continued hound with facts about crackers/pollutions after diwali too, after the celebration strode his way anyway. Flawed his arguments may be, but right he was about fun. "Diwali is no fun, without crackers", for a lot many.

That refocuses on the concern of the different groups. For those, who see Diwali as malpractice of a secular institution need to recompose the festivities in calender. Amartya Sen says in his book "argumentative indian" Indian definition of secularism is not abolishing religiosity but maintaining a perfect harmony of all the faiths. So it would be grossly improper for a department like ours to celebrate Diwali and Holi in so much fanfare, while we maintain a studied silent on other religious festivals. And have you imagined how subjugating it might sound, when the school prayer is that of a religious majority ? For those, who see Diwali as a mere cultural dominance need to evolve equally pleasurable festivities as an alternate. You cannot just shut the door to the all the glazing and simmering fun outside. And last but not the least, crackers ?

We need to dissociate fun with the feeling of power, crowding noise and amazement of explosives. Not only diwali, we have made crackers inseparable from personal affairs like marriage to national days and new years celebration. Growth of civilization, by which I mean to enhanced understanding of nature, insight into human psyche and enlighted thoughts, do not guarantee that. But I am sure happiness could come through many channels, and constitute many different modes. I also think, all experiences of happiness should be yielded as much as we can, but we can definitely do some load shedding for the sake of pollution, when its so much more demanding.