Festivals are a time to celebrate with others, to come out of your routine shell and reach out. But there is a thin line between being within limits and stepping just beyond. We learnt, early in life, not to impose our feelings on anyone, whether it be the joy of a festival or sorrow.
As children, my friends were celebrating Holi the only way they knew: after colouring each other beyond recognition, they decided they had social sanction to colour all who passed by. The few who had colour on them, didn?t seem to mind. But most people who had no colour on them, I noticed, standing away, were reluctant to let the children touch them. But my friends had their way, any way. Till one gentleman said, in a firm but soft voice, "My father died last week. I?m too upset to play Holi."
My friends backed away, a little rattled with the realisation that what is taken for granted as a happy day, may be a serious or sad occasion for others. We sat down outside the house, our game over, and watched others pass by. Every time we spotted someone who had no colour on, we tried to think, why. Over the years, that incident has stayed with me and I have found many more answers to that "Why?"
It could be a matter of personal choice. Some people just don?t like the thought of all that colour splashed or sprinkled all over them. Others are allergic to powder or even the chemicals that go into modern Holi colours, and break out in a rash or worse, fall ill with breathing problems. The silver, for example, contains aluminium bromide that can lead to cancer while the green may have copper sulphate that can even blind you temporarily. Chromium, often found in these colours sold off the roadside, can cause asthma. Imagine the effect they have on pregnant women and the unborn child. Some may be going for important work, like I was going for my job interview( remember I shared my terrible experience with you in Holi Horror!) while others may belong to a different faith. That one gentleman who stopped to explain why he wasn?t celebrating Holi, made a whole bunch of children more considerate towards the right of privacy each one of us has, and which each of us ought to learn to respect.