Happy Phagwah

The Village Voice expresses Phagwah greetings to our readership and all Guyana, particularly our Hindu readers. The story behind this holi festival is both riveting and uplifting. As the story goes, in spite of the temptation faced by the protagonist, Prahlad, good was able to overcome evil.  The Hindu religion is not unlike the other major religions that promote goodness in people, which is often used as the example of what people can be or become.

Guyanese today have a national  holiday to celebrate the sacred holiday but have been correctly asked by President Irfaan Ali to do so with restrain, given the restrictions resulting from the pandemic. The large street gathering, throwing of abir and water on each other as demonstration of our brotherliness and sisterliness, along with drumming and other merriment, will be missed this year.  But the public scale down of this festivity should not interfere with its goodness within us and our ability to be kind to each other.

Phagwah has become a national festival and is celebrated by Guyanese of all religions. Hardly, if any, would say they have not been a part of this festival and sharing in the festivities. Moments like these, when we celebrate each other, we prove to ourselves how much we are part of each other. This is a relationship, were we to build on, could result in the good of becoming ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny,” as aspired for in the national motto.

If nothing else COVID-19, having reared its evil head, resulting in sickness and the loss of lives of many, prove to us how much we have in common, feel for each other, and need each other. We have mourned with each other and felt the pains of those who have battled, and are battling this deadly disease. Guyanese cannot wait for the pandemic to be over and to return to a life of normalcy.

Thus, wherever or however Guyanese celebrate this year’s Phagwah festivities let us not forget that ultimately good always overcomes evil, and we are all Guyanese. We love each other, feel for each other, celebrate with each other, and are of each other. In spite of what may come our way or the challenges we face, we are one big family, the Guyanese family,  and can overcome any evil that seeks to rend us asunder.

Happy Phagwah!