Would it not make sense to tell the hooligans to leave Holi alone, instead of telling women that their fear at Holi-related hooliganism hurts Hindu pride?
In the television channels and social media, there is a concerted attempt to turn the conversation on sexual harassment of women into yet another peg for outrage over ‘Hindu pride’.
Here is my response to some of the arguments by those who see criticism of hooliganism on Holi as an attack on a ‘Hindu festival.’
Surendra Jain, VHP leader, writes, “Worse instances of sexual harassment occur daily on the Delhi Metro. Why not talk about that?” A gentleman on Twitter told me, “Criticise hooligans, not the festival of Holi.”
These men need to realise that women already face and protest harassment every day, everywhere – on streets, public transport, in college and schools, by strangers and friends and teachers, in all manner of religious institutions.
It would help to hear what these women are specifically saying about Holi. They’re saying that the ‘Bura na mano Holi hai‘ (Don’t mind, it’s Holi) slogan has become a way of telling women that sexual harassment in the name of playing Holi is okay, and protesting such sexual harassment is uncool! Women are responding by saying ‘we won’t stop minding harassment just because it’s disguised as a Holi celebration’ (Holi hai tab bhi yaun utpeedan ka bura to manoongi).
The Sangh brethren suggest that women calling out sexual violence in the name of Holi are hurting Hindu pride. They need to be asked: who is the one really marring the repute of Holi? Aren’t the hooligans throwing balloons at and forcibly smearing colour on women the ones who are marring a Hindu festival? Would it not make sense to tell the hooligans to leave Holi alone, instead of telling women that their fear at Holi-related hooliganism hurts Hindu pride?
Another Twitter handle said: “We know what you are trying to do here. You want a ban on all Hindu festivals. Harmful for environment, women harassment etc are mere alibis provided and the main agenda is to create an atmosphere where Hindus and their practices are mocked.”
Why does this person think of sexual harassment as a ‘Hindu practice’? I sure don’t. Women saying ‘End sexual harassment’ can sound like ‘ban Holi’ only for those who equate Holi with the license to harass women. Surely, those who love Holi as a festival of colours and of spring, need to rescue it from the clutches of those who see it as a license for bullying and violence against women or against any vulnerable section of people?
Another response on Twitter said: ‘Tomorrow’s papers will show pictures of girls enjoying Holi.’ One wonders what the point is. Does this imagine we feminists are telling women NOT to enjoy Holi? Our whole point is that we need to make our streets, mohallas, societies, areas safe for everyone on Holi. That will require us to respect (and teach kids and the youth to respect) people’s boundaries on Holi: if anyone, man or woman, is not comfortable playing Holi, colour should not be forced on them, nor should they be shamed or bullied. That will require us to respect that women and girls, whether they’re playing Holi or just walking the streets, must not be subjected to colour-smearing, balloon-pelting, dupatta-yanking or anything else without their consent. This is hard work because it goes against what scores of ‘Holi’ songs that have created a culture of normalising sexual harassment.
Let us look at how our neighbours in Nepal deal with the issue. The Kathmandu District Administration Office has issued a press statement reminding everyone that “The law prohibits hurling of water-filled balloons and smearing colours on the faces of other people against their will. Therefore, police will take action against such offenders.”
If Nepal can do this, why can’t we? President Bidya Bhandari, in her Fagu greetings to the people of Nepal, has encouraged all Nepali people to see the festival of many colours as a celebration of the country’s ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity.
And there are other forms of violence too, sadly, that we must flag. Those who aggressively declare Holi to be a ‘Hindu’ festival forget that Holi is a secular festival with a long history of being celebrated by Muslims. We have sadly seen Muslims being barred from Garba events by aggressive communalists using cow urine to mark the Garba celebration as a ‘Hindus-only’ event. Next, will Muslims have to fear either being forcibly kept out of Holi celebrations – or else, forced to play Holi or risk being branded ‘un-Indian’? Both dangers are very real.
Dalits suffer similar dangers. Last year, a Dalit man in Jharkhand was beaten to death by police for throwing colour on a man from the dominant caste. In Ambala last year, dominant caste men attacked Dalits when a Dalit man gave sermons (pravachan) on the occasion of Holi at a Valmiki temple. In Eastern UP in 2015, a Dalit man was tonsured and paraded for burning the ‘Holika’. That’s the fate of Dalits who seek to celebrate Holi. When Dalits interpret the burning of Holika (like other myths of killing of demons) as a symbol of violence against bahujans, they will, of course, be branded as ‘anti-Hindu’ and therefore ‘anti-Indian’.
Yet, Holi has been – and can be – a glorious celebration of spring, of the harvest, of the flame-like colours of palash and semal, of the songs of chaiti, of diversity and egalitarianism, of sweets and thandai, of respect for all those who want to – and do not want to – play Holi. I’ve seen friends make this possible at their homes in Allahabad and Patna and Banaras. I’ve seen this happen on the JNU campus, year after year. It can happen everywhere – as long as we stop taking offence at those who criticise Holi, and start taking offence at hooliganism and violence (whether against women, Dalits, non-Hindus or just people who want to be left alone) in the name of Holi. Hinsa par bura maanenge to Holi zyada accha aur Sundar ho Sakta hai! (If we take offence at violence, Holi can be better and more beautiful!)
Kavita Krishnan is an activist and Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association