Festive times (November 25)
Leader Writer: RK Lakhi Kant

The past week has been eventful culturally. Three festivals back to back have brought back the charm in life. Festivals break the tedium of day-to-day life and make us do things, which we normally forget in our daily struggle for survival. The three festivals of Diwali, Goverdhan Puja and Ningol Chakaouba have their own significance in our culture and their timely observance is of utmost importance and for our own well-being. There is an outer as well as an inner meaning to the festivals and both are relevant in our lives to make it worth living. 

Diwali for instance is celebrated on the return of King Ram to Ayodhya after he was exiled to the forest on the wish of his father Dasrath who was asked to do so by Ram's stepmother Kekayi to grant her a boon, which Dasrath had promised her. The inner significance is the return of Ram symbolizes the return of light from darkness, from evil to the essential goodness of life - an enlightening of the self. Ram leaving for the jungles is a dark thought for the people of his kingdom but the fact that he crushes all evil and returns to his rightful place is a symbol of new thought and new spirit. 

In this context the trend in the present day life of terrorism is a form of evil, which has befallen us. It is evil and a loss for mankind but we may hope that it will not stay with us for long. In Punjab we saw terrorism bare its fangs for a long decade in the 80s and the 90s but in this new age there is no sign of terrorism in present day Punjab. 

In the same way we can hope that in Kashmir, which is in the throes of terrorism today, and in other places in the country as well terrorism will die out eventually. We may hope that a power will come that crushes all evil and brings normalcy in our lives. And this power must be the power of goodness like Ram who is a symbol of all goodness and justice. We must hope that not only terrorism but also all other forms of evil like corruption; drug addiction, HIV and all such social disturbances will eventually be cleansed off from our society.

Next is the festival of Goverdhan Puja. It comes in the season of harvesting which is a time for celebration all over the countryside. It is a symbol of prosperity and bounty. Whatever the religious significance in common terms farmers offer the grains from the new harvest to God in appreciation of his help for a good harvest. 

As far as the story of Goverdhan Puja goes King Nanda along with the cowherds was preparing to perform Indra puja when god Krishna who is the son of Nanda intervenes to reveal his godliness. Krishna asks Nanda not to pray to Indra but to make the offerings to Goverdhan hill, which is the lifeline for the cowherds of Vrindavan. Indra hears of this and gets very angry and in the ensuing seven days sends down heavy showers to flood Vrindavan. But Krishna lifts Goverdhan hill and gives shelter to the cowherds thus saving them. Hence Krishna overcomes Indra and shows the people the right course of nature. He gives the natural path to the diverted energies of the cowherds who don't know the right course of doing puja.

Ningol Chakouba was the third occurrence in the past week and its significance is not only the reunion of brothers and sisters but of the whole family and in a larger sense the reunion of love, which has been forgotten during the year and is rekindled now. For Manipuris this festival does not need much of an explanation. The significance of light, prosperity and reunion in our lives is important to guard the sovereignty of a nation, a race or a community. 

In Manipur today we are walking in the opposite direction from these three themes of life. From doing evil we must return to doing good. There is no light and we must search for the light. Reunion and love must be there between the estranged communities of Manipur. This is the time to take the resolution that we will stop clashing with one another and live in the spirit of reunion and love.

(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press)

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