Here are a few incidents of harassment and violence during this year’s celebrations garnered from news reports and social media.
Holi, the festival of colors, bursts onto the scene like an explosion of joy, painting everything in vibrant hues. As a kid, I eagerly awaited its arrival each year, anticipating the revelry with my friends like nothing else. After soaking in the festivities for half the day, I would don a white kurta and accompany my father to his friends’ house, where we would indulge in a spread of delectable dishes. Aware of my father’s devout nature, his friends refrained from smearing him with Gulal or Abeer, reserving those playful gestures for the younger folks who would touch his feet and leave traces of color behind.
As the evening descended, the gathering would migrate to Bharat Chacha’s house, which felt like a second home to me. I would return late into the night, the ritual that continued until my senior year of high school.
Upon leaving my hometown for the bustling metropolis of Delhi, I found the festive spirit sorely lacking. It seemed the big city dwellers lacked the same warmth found in villages and small towns. Gone were the lavish feasts; instead, my college peers settled for modest celebrations, smudging each other’s faces with Gulal on the last day of classes. However, I still had Ashok Mamu in Delhi, so I would make my way to his house on Holi.
This story was originally published in americankahani.com. Read the full story here.