As ambitions and the pursuit of wealth take precedence over older values like affection and respect, social cohesion is the casualty
In a society that is rapidly getting less real and more virtual, a festival like Diwali comes as a great boost to our social cohesiveness. The country remains hooked on a high with sweets and gifts savoring the bondings of families, friends and neighbours. In many northern and eastern parts of India, the associated string of festivals — Govardhan puja, Chhath — adds to the fervour. The trickle of moist and chill in the winter, layers of lights glowing all around, sparkling colours adoring our surroundings, and crackling of children’s laughter amidst bursting of crackers, add a rare zing to the Diwali celebrations.
The anticipation before Diwali is filled with a rare spirit of bonding. People queue up to meet each other; gifts and sweets are exchanged. The markets make merry and so do the artisans and potters, for whom the earnings by sales of diyas during this time of the year enable them to create a good, year-long financial cushion. The flower sellers do brisk business and so do millions of small shop-owners and traders. Diwali causes an unprecedented buoyancy in economic activities. All this immensely contributes to enhancing the incomes of millions — from those who make crackers, confectioners, gift sellers, fruit sellers and any trade one can think of. Along with strengthening social cohesiveness, Diwali also creates vibrant economic opportunities for people of all caste, creed and religions.
Diwali has significant social ramifications and that’s why its values and significance must be instilled in our children, who are not growing up in most congenial of times. Our society today is beset with conflict and chaos of alarming proposition. A rare festival like Diwali, therefore, should be celebrated to the hilt. Such festivities may also be the right occasion to contemplate on what has led to such spurt in social discord, and diminishing social cohesiveness, especially in urban areas. There could be three distinct reasons for this.
First, since 2014, there has been a tectonic shift in Indian politics with the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and there is a tiny yet vocal set of people who are unable to fathom this. This section is influential, have considerable sway over opinion making, and enjoy a good share of voice in the society. Groomed into a culture of mutuality of convenience and generous applaud for each other, the ‘brazen’ neglect or perceived sense of being ignored by the Narendra Modi Government came as a shock for many.
Ideological differences notwithstanding, a sustained attack by this group on Modi started to degenerate the level of discourse in the public sphere. The retorts by overzealous BJP leaders didn’t help either, and soon we were all witness to a public spat of perhaps the worst kind. Pricked by a series of reverses at various elections since 2014, the Congress seemed to have lost its clarity, and instead of proposing to the people its own vision, relentlessly engaged in Modi-bashing. This did not help things either.
Second, the rise of the social media caused a social turmoil of a unique kind. We see incredible power of the social media —such as its speed — being put to rampant abuse. Barely has an issue surfaced that an army of opinion dealers and leaders get down to the business of demonising and demolishing each other with disregard for any decorum of public discourse. An group of anonymous mischief-mongers add fuel to the fire and abuses flow generously from all sides. A child growing up reading these shameful remarks will end up getting cynical and circumspect about the level of public discourse in India today.
Third, a rapidly modernising and progressing society like India may undergo a metamorphosis in its social and cultural milieu. Values, like aspirations, prosperity, wealth acquisition and material success, may take precedence over some of the older, and enduring values of Indian society such as affection and care. Social cohesion is an instant casualty in the midst of all this.
Diwali may give us the much-needed succor from the relentless onslaught of negativity and fatigue. It may momentarily dwarf these debilitating social trends and exalt us into the spirit of fervour and joy. We must tell our children the virtues of respect, sacrifice, trust and bonding as exemplified by the story of Rama, who went on an exile to obey his father’s wish, while his brother, Bharat did not succumb to the greed of power. Diwali may tell us that other than celebrating the the home-coming of Rama after 14 years of exile, it is also a celebration of the idea of India, which is diverse and deep.
(The writer is a strategic communications professional)
