Festivals And National Unity

Festivals and National Unity For example, the two-rak’ah prayer of Eid is related to Islamic belief. It is part of the Muslim religion. But sharing and eating sheer khurma during Eid is something that relates to all human beings. It promotes connection and interaction on a human level. It is something universal, not limited to one group. Similarly, worshipping Lakshmi on Diwali is related to Hindu belief. It is a religious act for them. But cleaning the house is something that interests everyone. Anyone can happily adopt it. I was born in India before Independence (1947). I clearly remember from my childhood that when the festival of Diwali came, Muslims used to send sweets to Hindu homes. We would clean our homes in the same way Hindus cleaned their homes for Diwali. Similarly, when the festival of Eid came, Hindu children also wore new clothes like Muslim children. Sweets were prepared in Hindu homes, and they felt happy hosting their Muslim neighbours. In this way, Muslims found points of interest in Hindu festivals, just as Hindus found reasons to engage with Muslim celebrations. From one perspective, these festivals were specific to their respective religious communities; yet from another, they took on the character of shared cultural events. In this sense, both communities participated in each other’s festivals collectively. Such mutual participation fostered a spirit of tolerance and repeatedly drew the two groups closer together.