Holi is over and was celebrated with traditional joy and mirth in much of the country but for many it was a day of anxiety and anticipation. That the day passed without any major act of violence came as a big relief. The build up to Holi was tense and the government in some bjp ruled states along with the lapdog media tried to use the day as another opportunity for social polarization and demonstration of total dominance but the age old wisdom of the people prevailed and their values of peace and coexistence proved to be resilient. The sight of hundreds of armed policemen marching through the streets of Sambhal ahead of a crowd in Holi colors was meant to provide vicarious pleasure of schadenfreude to their target audience but Holi gives enough authentic joy for people to indulge in it. For once social media was not hyping the message and even grave provocation like in ratnagiri couldn’t inflame the sentiments. In a stratified hierarchical society Holi is a rare festival of transcending these boundaries and therefore attracts the community as a whole. We also need to acknowledge the patience of those in the receiving end. Impatience is said to be the cardinal sin of mankind and Holi has no space for it.
