Coronavirus fear is real. So much so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cancel his Holi Milan programme. Home Minister Amit Shah followed and tweeted that he too is not going to participate in this year’s Holi gatherings. And yet there is no Hindu outrage and whataboutery about Bakr-id.
How I wish Narendra Modi and Amit Shah had said no fire-crackers for Diwali to combat Delhi air pollution.
Like him or hate him, but you cannot deny that India’s prime minister is a trendsetter. With over 50 million followers on Twitter, Modi has the honour of being part of the hallowed list of most followed politicians across the world. Much of his ‘lahar’ is visible on social media — millions added the prefix ‘chowkidar’ to their Twitter names last year after the prime minister did the same, in response to the Congress’ ‘chowkidar chor hai’ campaign against him. Modi followers get upset when the PM talks about giving up social media (even if it’s a Woman’s Day gimmick).
So, when the PM decided he will not celebrate Holi, his followers posted similar declarations on Twitter. Many welcomed the move in the wake of rising coronavirus threat that the country is currently facing. Strangely, I couldn’t find a single tweet condemning the PM’s decision to stay away from the celebrations as ‘anti-Hindu’. After all, a huge chunk of his followers considers Modi as the messiah of the Hindu culture.
Also read: PM Modi and Amit Shah say no to ‘Holi milan’ events over coronavirus scare
Anti-Hindu Diwali, but not anti-Hindu Holi
Wait, but why was I looking for tweets condemning the PM’s decision? Why not? The Twitterati has on many occasions trolled those — be it Bollywood stars or common people — advocating crackerless Diwali, calling them anti-Hindu and ‘anti-culture’. Despite worsening air quality in north India during Diwali last year, we saw how Delhites went ahead bursting crackers, even boasting about it while ignoring Supreme Court’s restrictions.
So now I am confused about what is anti-Hindu and what is not. What lessons can we draw from this (all support and no opposition to Modi’s Holi stand)? Is it because Modi followers take a cue from what he says? I believe that if the PM had tweeted asking people not to burst crackers, the contribution of cracker pollution in the deteriorating air quality in north India would have reduced to a great extent. The PM’s appeal would have also taken the burden off those who faced the question of being a true Hindu by troll armies, just because they did not burst crackers.
Also read: Diwali crackers leave Delhi-NCR gasping as air quality drops to season’s worst: CSE report
Do we only fear immediate threats?
The fear of immediate dangers and a complacent attitude towards long-term threats say a lot about human nature. We are impatient creatures. The idea of an apocalypse, or ‘pralay’ as we call it in ancient texts, always excites us, and perhaps even makes us more vigilant. I was in school when The Great 2012 Doomsday Scare hit the headlines, and we all tried to imagine, with much excitement, what it would be like.
The spread of coronavirus and the loss of 3,500 lives is another example of an immediate threat — one that has moved people world over, forcing governments to take appropriate actions. Deaths due to a virus has the ability to invoke widespread public and state response, but what about a human-inflicted tragedy? We might not have cared much had they died at the hands of other humans. We have examples closer home, most recently in Delhi riots.
I fail to understand why most politicians don’t consider issues like climate change and pollution, which could have consequences similar to that an apocalypse, as real threats. Maybe because they think such a crisis will play out slowly, over a long period of time. And politicians only think of the immediate future, one that extends till the next election.
The festival of Holi is also infamous for incidents of sexual harassment. When women ask not to touch them during the celebrations, men hardly listen. Now that PM Modi has asked people not to touch each other (because of coronavirus), it seems like everyone will fall in line. This proves that the followers don’t listen to anyone but their supreme leader. Least of all women.
In view of Covid-19 Modi ji PM is not celebrating Holi.It will be fitting for a him to go to isolation wards to meet quarantined Indians and Doctors as it will cheer them and boost their moral.Country wants him to show solidarity with quarantined Indians.Modi ji like health minister you also visit isolation wards.
This year holi has been already celebrated in Delhi with blood. The colors are still fresh
Moron like you find firecracker polluting air in Diwali while find it entertaining in new year and Christmas!!
Moron Unnathi sarma
Holi celebrations has been cancelled on this year not for ever. What you ask for deepavali will change for ever. You Dumbo
Mron , just like you assumed cancellation for only this year of Holi, why isn’t your dumb@s able to assume cancellation of using firecrackers untill the climate is able to tolerate ?
Do you wait to shit in the toilet untill pm gives you the green light to go ?
Seems so with your lame excuse.
why you bring modi in everything?
Do you have an agenda against him??
Chose a different topic but you feel that without him, your career graph will not go up.
I do not agree with the author , while the PM is indeed a trendsetter , it is not really obligatory on him to set trends which people might dislike. We can all give up motor vehicles & use cycles to decrease pollution but to expect somebody else to set up that trend is somewhat delusional. As far as holi is concerned , many amongst us ,who are staunch Hindus may not enjoy the public aspect of the tradition , so what? The threat of Corona virus makes it even more so . The author should concentrate on more significant issues.
Climate change and carbon theory haven’t been proved
Check shiva Ayyadurai on YouTube
Let’s Ban Beef And other non veg products ??
And halal
Would you be so supportive if he says please turn vegetarian and stop cruelty towards animals on Bakrid ?
Also, what bs is that politicians don’t care about climate change?
Look at the solar installation over the years after 2014. Look at India’s commitments in energy sector and in planting trees.
Are you journalist or congress propogandist? Research before your start whining.
Why Unnati Sharma dont write against killing of Goat, sheep , bulls on Bakari Eid ?
There goes another so called journalist who seems to have their underwear in a twist all the time when it comes to Modi! Wake up guys!!!
What is this article all about? Unnati Sharma? What exactly are you saying here? How did you ignore all that Modi’s Govt., has done for Climate Change?
Oh!
I get it! Silly me! Sorry, I can be slow sometimes.
You don’t really have anything to say, right? So, the best option is to throw together a disjointed narrative and publish.
Cool. Cool! You have to earn your pay and feed the family. We understand. We really do. Everyone is on the same bus of salaried class anyway, and we understand the need to have some work to show the Boss that you are working.
March on. March on!
We promise not to laugh at your work. Or you. Cross my heart and hope to die. Double promise. We shall not laugh at you. God promise!
1. The real problem of air pollution lies in the burning of farmlands in westward areas of Delhi.
2. Do you appreciate his holy stand or not?
3. Fire crackers are a small percentage of the pollution.
Maybe he likes fire crackers or maybe he thinks asking for less fire crackers will damage him politically more than asking for giving up holi.
This is the problem with you people, just keep finding flaws instead of appreciating the direction. It’s good that you atleast expect good things from working people, but there are other considerations too.
Maybe he thought asking for fire cracker ban will be not a secular move. Given the things around state elections and ram mandir case, he might not want to disturb the diwali celebrations, who are we to question the personal choices of free people?
“Give a small finger, they’ll pull your hand”
Total propaganda article of leftist by a member of double dholki group.
Not sure where this author is coming from. Holi is not traditionally celebrated in South India and parts of Maharashtra. Believe me they are all Hindus. Journalists like this author need a reason to rant.