“To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely,” renowned political philosopher Edmund Burke wrote, emphasising that a nation’s beauty lies in its traditions, values, and shared identity – what he called its “distinct system of manners.” Holi, the festival of colours, is a vibrant expression of this idea. More than a celebration, it reflects a social contract that binds generations, linking the wisdom of the past to the spirit of the present and the promise of the future.
As the country celebrates Holi, the arrival of spring has turned nature into a blooming bouquet, with its gentle breeze embracing everyone, regardless of caste, religion, or gender. Streets are coloured in vibrant hues. However, amidst these festivities, the political landscape has also heated up. Television screens that traditionally used to showcase cultural programmes at the eve of Holi are instead consumed with debates like “Holi vs. Jumma” and “80 vs. 20,” threatening to overshadow the true spirit of the festival.
The atmosphere that ought to be filled with happiness, unity and festivity is unfortunately tainted with strife and divisiveness. There is a growing deliberate and intentional attempt to polarise society, turning communities against each other. So, before immersing ourselves in colours this Holi, we must ask: who truly has a problem with the blending of hues?
The soul of India
Indian culture of unity in diversity, celebrating pluralism, has always been its strength as embodied in the philosophy of Sarva Dharma Sambhava (equal respect for all religions). However, the right wing ideological forces have been attempting for a long time to impose a singular identity over this vast, diverse country. Rabindranath Tagore, in his critic of aggressive nationalism, emphasised the need for cultural inclusivity, instead of monolithic nationalism, warning against the dangers of restricting national identity to a singular ideology.
Even during India’s independence struggle, when the tricolour was chosen as our national flag, right-wing extremists labeled it irreligious. Later, when the Constitution was framed to uphold secularism, social justice and equal rights to all, they resisted its inclusivity. Their discomfort with diversity is very much evident in the foundational ideological texts like Bunch of Thoughts, revealing their rigid views on caste, religion, gender and language. Contrary to this, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the constitution, positioned that India’s strength lie in its ability to embrace difference, stating, “Democracy is not merely a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience.”
Division and nature
Edmund Burke, in his work Reflections on the Revolution in France, warned that social stability is built on gradual evolution, not forced ruptures. The radical forces are orchestrating a perpetual ‘versus’ battle – one festival against another, one community against another, one language against another – failing to understand that India’s cultural ethos is one of peaceful coexistence, not confrontation at all.
But hatred politics cannot hold back the onset of spring. Flowers will continue to bloom in diverse colours, intertwining in the fragrant breeze. No matter how hard divisive forces try, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna is inevitable – it is the law of nature. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilisation.”
Also read: It’s Time to Remember Gandhi’s Views on Holi and Ramzan
Festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid, Lohri, and Christmas will return year after year, reinforcing bonds of friendship, just as the framers of our constitution envisioned the true idea of India.
Festivals in India have always been about inclusion and shared celebrations. The literature and portraits of the Mughal era provides ample evidence of this. Emperor Akbar played Holi with his wife Jodhabai, and Jahangir with his wife Noor Jahan. There is in fact a painting in the Alwar Museum that depicts Jahangir immersed and enjoying the Holi festivities. During the reign of Shah Jahan, the festival took a distinct Mughal flavour and was called as Eid-e-Gulabi or Aab-e-Pashi (shower of colours). The last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, also participated in Holi with his ministers applying colour to him. The participation of our current Prime Minister at Jahan-e-Khusrau – a Sufi cultural event, organised on the last Friday of February – and his address there stood as a living testament of India’s deeply shared cultural heritage.
However, today’s political rhetoric attempts to disrupt this legacy of shared festivities. The manufactured narrative of “Jumma versus Holi” is nothing but a deliberate ploy to disrupt communal harmony. The remarks by certain leaders and the amplified sensationalised media narratives are part of this larger agenda.
Beyond division: A call for love and unity
When festivals are pitted against each other, when language is set against another language, and religion against religion, the battle is among citizens themselves. In the time of this orchestrated bitterness, the country must reclaim a collective festive spirit. When hate is being institutionalised, love must be fearlessly mainstreamed.
Shahreyar Khan is a student, Campus Law Centre, DU.
