Mumbai: There is wide scale deforestation throughout the year on account of felling of trees for construction purposes, production of paper and other activities backed by man’s selfish interests. However, so-called environmentalists ignore this and wake up from their slumber to create hue and cry over the felling of trees on Holi, the occasion of Hindus that is celebrated just once in a year. Their contention is that ‘Trees are cut during Holi, which causes damage to the environment’. They also make fake appeals like ‘One should burn (eradicate) one’s evil thoughts in the fire of Holi’ or ‘Burn garbage in the fire of Holi’. Shri. Ramesh Shinde, spokesperson for Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for the Maharashtra states appeals to all Hindus that they should not fall a prey to such fake excuses and celebrate Holi and Rangapanchami as prescribed by Hindu Holy Scriptures by using natural colours.
The appeal letter further states that dry wood be used instead of felling good trees for Holi. Also, the basic objective of celebrating Holi is for one and all to forget differences and come together. Thus, if people bear this in mind and celebrate the festival, they can save wood by having just one sacrificial fire of Holi for the entire village or locality instead of each group separately burning wood for Holi. If the directive of the so-called environmentalists to burn garbage as Holi is followed, then poisonous gases emitted by poisonous waste will in turn lead to more pollution. Thus, do not implement such dangerous directives. When Holi is celebrated, as per traditional practices, it is essential that sanctity of the religious practice be maintained. The sanctity will be lost if dirt and garbage is used for the sacrificial fire of Holi. The HJS also asserts that why does one need the pretext of Hindu festivals to burn (eradicate) one’s evil thoughts; they (evil thoughts) can be eradicated during any time of the year!
Celebrate Rangapanchami with natural colours!
Several malpractices such as the use of dangerous colours containing chemicals that harm the skin, throwing balloons filled with colours and dirty water at people, applying colours to people forcibly, consuming liquor and misbehaving with ladies, eveteasing, fighting, polluting lakes and wells with colours, etc. have crept into the festival of Rangapanchami, which in reality is a blissful event. The HJS appeals to all to prevent the occurrence of such malpractices and celebrate the festival of Rangapanchami in a traditional way using natural colours.
Related HJS Campaign – Holi & Rangpanchami
