Holi

28th February 2010, Kolkata

A festival of colors

Or atleast that is how holi is described in the PR campaigns run for and by India for the tourists. What it is celebrated for nobody knows. Ask any aam(mango) aadmi(ladki?) or preferably a child, chances are he/she will answer either that he/she doesn’t know or something which doesn’t come even vaguely close to the real reason.

What everybody will agree about is that this is the day when we get to play with different colors and get to color everybody around us.

What most people forget these days is the importance of consent.

Generally we have a problem reconciling different point of views and requirements. Case in Point illustrated below

So when someone says the same about holi following thing happens

So on holi you are getting colored. And if do not like it, too bad you will be getting colored against your consent. Because on this day most people just do not take no for an answer.

I could state cases where people are allergic to colors or other such reasons, but that goes against the point. Why is it necessary for someone to have an affliction to have a reason to not play holi. Why does a persons simple reason that he does not like to play considered a moot point.

Doesn’t free will count?

I guess not

PS: Pat yourself on the back and contact me for a war with pj’s if you caught the reference to Katrina kaif in the article above