Important 🧵
My favourite festival #DurgaPuja is almost here.
Please be wary of two vicious narratives, peddled by the usual suspects around this time.
1. Virtue signalling - One of the ways to guilt-trip you during this festival is to link heinous crimes against women to the occasion where Devi is worshipped for 9 days.
(1/n)
My favourite festival #DurgaPuja is almost here.
Please be wary of two vicious narratives, peddled by the usual suspects around this time.
1. Virtue signalling - One of the ways to guilt-trip you during this festival is to link heinous crimes against women to the occasion where Devi is worshipped for 9 days.
(1/n)
A standard template that is used for this purpose reads as follows -
"A country with the highest crime rates against women will now worship a woman for the next 9 days." 🙄
First, only the adherents of the Hindu Faith are celebrating Durga Puja and not the entire country.
(2/n)
"A country with the highest crime rates against women will now worship a woman for the next 9 days." 🙄
First, only the adherents of the Hindu Faith are celebrating Durga Puja and not the entire country.
(2/n)
Second, if you read news reports, you will find criminals from all religious denominations in India committing unspeakable atrocities against women.
These include people from various 'Faiths' who do not worship Devi for 9 days.
If there was some inherent connection between worshipping a female deity and crimes against women, then why are these non-worshippers engaging in the latter?
(3/n)
These include people from various 'Faiths' who do not worship Devi for 9 days.
If there was some inherent connection between worshipping a female deity and crimes against women, then why are these non-worshippers engaging in the latter?
(3/n)
Third, this goes on to show that whether someone worships a deity for a set period of time or not has no bearing on his actions and attitudes towards women.
When this is the case, then, why are you linking my Faith indirectly to 'crimes committed against women'?
Gone are those days when Hindu festivals served as fodder for 'activists' to rake up social issues and none even bat an eye.
(4/n)
When this is the case, then, why are you linking my Faith indirectly to 'crimes committed against women'?
Gone are those days when Hindu festivals served as fodder for 'activists' to rake up social issues and none even bat an eye.
(4/n)
2. Erasure of religion: One set of individuals (read usual suspects) are hellbent on downplaying the religious significance of Durga Puja.
It is a Hindu festival and not 'sabka festival.' There, I said it!
The case is similar to Eid-al-Fitr, which is an Islamic festival, or Christmas (Christian festival) and Hanukkah (Jewish festival). 😎
(5/n)
It is a Hindu festival and not 'sabka festival.' There, I said it!
The case is similar to Eid-al-Fitr, which is an Islamic festival, or Christmas (Christian festival) and Hanukkah (Jewish festival). 😎
(5/n)
You are more than welcome to visit the pandals, enjoy the 'prasad', play the Dhak, listen to the devotional songs, and offer your prayers.
You can do all this even if you are non-Hindu but it will not change the religious character of the festival.
(6/n)
You can do all this even if you are non-Hindu but it will not change the religious character of the festival.
(6/n)
The mere participation of a non-adherent of the Faith cannot/ shall not and will not change the fact that Durga Puja is rooted in Hindu traditions.
Eating biryani or plum cake at your friend's house during Eid and Christmas respectively doesn't change their religious character either.
(7/n)
Eating biryani or plum cake at your friend's house during Eid and Christmas respectively doesn't change their religious character either.
(7/n)
So on this Durga Puja, please take a pledge to not use this #Hindufestival to virtue signal on social issues or attempt to erase the religious significance of it.
Please free to call out those individuals who think such a behaviour is 'cool' in 2023.
Regards,
Dibakar
n/n
Please free to call out those individuals who think such a behaviour is 'cool' in 2023.
Regards,
Dibakar
n/n
#Bonus: Onam, a Hindu festival primarily celebrated in Kerala, has also been deviously stripped of its religious character by the usual suspects.
Anyone can play with colours during Holi, burn firecrackers during Diwali or tie rakhi to his sister during Rakshabandhan but all these festivals were/are/will remain Hindu festivals.
Period.
Anyone can play with colours during Holi, burn firecrackers during Diwali or tie rakhi to his sister during Rakshabandhan but all these festivals were/are/will remain Hindu festivals.
Period.
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