Vishu (or Bisu) is the New Year’s Day in Kerala that blessed land in south India! All sections of society join in celebrating and the festivities mark a new wave of enthusiasm and harmonious lifestyle of the first among most literate States of Indian sub-continent.
Fable has it that Lord Sri Maha Vishnu descended in the avatar of diminutive Vamana and put an end to the demonic ego of a most charitable rakshasa-king, Mahabali! All right-thinking ones though believe it was the ego of the king of Gods, Indra that led to seeking the mighty Lord’s grace to ensure the continued reign of the supremacy of Devalok over the world of mortal beings. Be that as it may, the classic tussle between asuras (demon-clan ) and suras (divine beings) appears to have trickled down over the ages and eras to be portrayed as left versus right politics, which has the much-touted battle over commemorating this grand festival as ‘Vaman jayanthi’ or ‘ Bali jayanthi’, so to say!
The ever religious right parties proudly announce this as being the victory of right over wrong and worship of Lord Sri Maha Vishnu is the proper observation of this week-long festive event.
The self-declared atheist communist left groupings, say that it was the return of the asura-king Mahabali to visit his subjects which get celebrated annually. Here lies the incongruity of the ‘isms’ which create chasms of divide and rule policy adopted so religiously by today’s political animals.
The lot who does not believe in the existence of Hindu pantheons of Gods or in any God Almighty (be it Christian, Muslim or of any other religious following) announces the existence of Mahabali as a bygone king of the region who comes visiting every year around this season of greenery and joyous climate!
Those who subscribe to the immortality of the Gods still have the avatars coming and going to balance the ecosystem of good and bad in society!
To put an end to innocuous debates, let all these political beasts of India join hands to relearn the meaning of the word ‘secular‘ as being a diktat that no policy formulated by a Government shall be based, biased or coloured on the lines of the religion of a citizen.
End the farce. Bring in a uniform civil code in India. Knit all citizens as being pearls of one huge necklace called motherland India or, Bharatvarsh (as most seemed to have forgotten to utter this divine magical word)!
Perception of a secular country as being exclusive or inclusive only creates a perpetuating breed of ‘asuras’ with negativity and the extermination of the ‘suras’ in the nation. Wake up, Indian Parliament! The reality of all citizens being equal under our Constitution remains a mirage!
Discussion about this post