Five full days of fun and frolic : Celebrate responsibly
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 02, 2015 -

Five full days of fun and frolic. Or so it seems.

It is that time of the year and once again Holi or Yaoshang will be upon all within a few days time.

This is about the festival per se but be sure that the said festival will be prolonged, especially with many local organisations organising Thabal Chongba in the night.

Not that there is anything wrong with Thabal Chongba, but it is definitely worrying to see that people are more than ready to prolong the festival, well after the end of the five day festival.

This year too, it will not be surprising if Yaoshang is extended well beyond the five day period.

A case of the people not really understanding the essence of the festival and not caring to understand either.

On the other hand it is definitely encouraging to see some positive changes in the festival down the years.

Not uncommon to see that many youngsters have now turned their attention to the local level sports events that are organised in every leikai.

This is a good move from the days when the full five days were spent or rather wasted in colours or abers.

Like any other festival, Yaoshang too comes with its share of downsides.

If the previous years are any indication, one can expect kids to zoom around in their fancy two wheelers or four wheelers and literally painting the town red.

Young girls being targeted with aber is not uncommon and all these go to give a not so complimentary comment on the manner in which the festival is celebrated.

Let there be celebrations, but time to draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not. No point in reducing a festival to a roadside jamboree.

So even as the people, particularly the majority Meiteis, get ready for the Yaoshang festival thoughts need to be given on the manner in which it is celebrated.

Why should the roads be strewn with pails and pails of gutter water, especially on the last day of the five day festival ?

This cannot be called celebrating a festival.

Why should girls be reduced to objects of eve teasing ?

It not only goes against the essence of the festival but also against all that civilisation stands for.

Parents and elders too need to be extra cautious and not let the youngsters zoom around the roads in the family vehicles.

Young kids also need to be reined in from blocking the road to demand money from the passers by.

It would also do well for everyone to keep in mind that students of Class X and Class XII would be giving their board exams during the festival.

Some thoughts ought to be given to them.

In a few days from now, Yaoshang will come but time for all to make the festival meaningful.

Enjoying a festival need not be a nuisance to anyone, especially to the safety of all.

Celebrate the festival but with a sense of responsibility.

This should stand at the time of any festival and not only Yaoshang.