Sabki Diwali

It is the season of festivals, of lights and of happiness. People are in a good mood and everyone is a little more considerate towards each other. As we were taught in our primary schools, “Diwali is a festival of lights” and it has been since anyone can remember. Houses are cleaned and decorated with lights, candles, flowers and what not. This is a festival that brings families together and everyone is tied with a sense of joy, joy that these festivals bring with them. Houses, cities, states, basically the whole country is lit up and gifts are exchanged. Everyone is one big family and the day is a celebration.

But we are currently in a year that is going to go down in history. Everything is a little differently done than what normally happens. Masks and sanitizers are daily essentials. Online classes, working from home and online shopping are the new normal. This has also affected the way festivals are celebrated. Due to the pandemic, people are precautious about their surroundings and prefer to stay home and do everything possible to prevent going outdoors. It has affected the health, physical and mental, of a lot of people who aren’t used to such an environment. Huge parties are prevented, huge families cannot gather to celebrate anymore and everything is made digital to minimise human contact at all cost.

This situation has brought changes to different businesses and companies as there are some companies who have faced loss while there are other which have flourished due to different business strategies. The economy is constantly falling and this is a difficult time for everyone. Even though the conditions may not be in our favour, we take what we have and try to enjoy with just that. The hustle and bustle of the festive season is present, people are greeting others through social media and the spirit of Diwali is kept alive.

There are some people who’s lives are deeply affected due to this pandemic and they haven’t been able to do much about it. Small shop owners and street vendors, who depend hugely on their daily earning have suffered greater loss. They cannot afford machinery and make products like diyas by hand. This problem originated when the trend of Chinese LED lights was on the high. People preferred those lights and electric diyas instead of the hand-made ones as they were cheaper and easier to use. After a while, people grew aware of the fact that this is affecting the sellers who make hand-made beautiful diyas with their hard-work. Campaigns started and people were made aware of the same and it was quite successful. It is a fact that the beauty of a diya made out of clay is a beautiful sight and cannot be replaced by mechanised lights.

The pandemic had posed the same problem, if not worse on them again. Most people now prefer now prefer shopping for festive decorations online rather than going to the market for their own safety. These vendors are not technically advanced and cannot make use of the internet to sell their products. Their business is rather seasonal and they depend solely on their daily earnings. There are places where they only use these hand-made diyas made of clay to maintain the authenticity of the occasion but some modernised areas still prefer the easier rebound that is easily available online and is obviously cheaper. Even in a situation like the present one, these vendors continue to work hard continue to make beautiful products out of clay, all by hand in hopes of selling them and earning just enough to have a happy Diwali themselves.

Not to promote complete disregard of the guidelines of the pandemic, social distancing is as important right now, as it was in the very beginning of the pandemic. Masks and the use of sanitizers should not at any cost be disregarded. But to maintain the authenticity and to make this Diwali an equally happy and auspicious occasion for everyone, we can take a small step and choose the hand-made diyas and other items from small vendors across the country. It has been a tough year for everyone, especially for them so let’s take this initiative to visit the small vendors, taking complete precautions of our safety and buy their products, making it an enjoyable season for them as well. After all, it is the season to spread happiness, let’s take initiatives at our level to make this happen, to make someone’s festival, a celebration.