E-Paper
Hindu, Muslims in celebration mode
DIWALI AND Eid are the biggest festivals of Hindus and Muslims, but it?s time for double celebrations this year not only for the people of Kanpur but also for the whole country as preparations for both the festivals are on almost simultaneously amidst complete religious harmony. Notwithstanding the usual grudges and misunderstandings, the two communities have joined hands to rejoice in true festive spirit.
DIWALI AND Eid are the biggest festivals of Hindus and Muslims, but it’s time for double celebrations this year not only for the people of Kanpur but also for the whole country as preparations for both the festivals are on almost simultaneously amidst complete religious harmony. Notwithstanding the usual grudges and misunderstandings, the two communities have joined hands to rejoice in true festive spirit.
Rita Gupta, a bank employee, said, “this time Eid and Dewali are falling almost at the same time and, therefore, its time for double celebrations for us for the whole week. Several of my friends are Muslims and we are celebrating both these festivals together. We go to each others houses and enjoy the different varieties of sweets like ‘Rasgulla’ and ‘ Sewai’.”
A housewife Sushma Singh said that when poet Kabir died, both Hindus and Muslims who were followers of his ‘doha’ (couplets) fought for the claim of cremating or burying his last remains. Astonishingly, when the shroud was taken off, it was found that in place of the body, two heaps of flowers were kept.
The Hindus cremated one heap while the Muslims buried the other heap, and the problem was sorted out. The moral of the story is that the two diverse cultures of Muslims and Hindus are inseparable and run like parallel lines of a railway track always together socially but also retaining their religious identities that are separate. In the same way Dewali and Eid are the festivals of two different communities but the celebration and enjoyment does not belong to any particular community or religion.”
Ritesh Thakkar, an employee in a private firm, said, “Modern India is a land not of a solitary religion but of diverse religions.
The state does not sponsor or foster any one religion at the expense of others. This is in keeping with the greatness of India that today whichever festival is celebrated here does not belong to any particular caste or community.”
