I used to look forward to Diwali all year round. Why wouldn’t I? It was the festival when my father would take us out for a city tour and buy all sorts of sweets for us. Although my father’s friends also brought lots of sweets, we would indulge in those for a whole week. We eagerly awaited this festival because it was also the time when we would receive various clay toys. The older kids in the neighborhood would craft clay houses, and we often dreamed that when we grew up, we would also make clay houses for ourselves. But yes! I did contribute to the older kids’ clay houses by writing “Happy Diwali” in Urdu and English in front of their creations. This was because I had always been praised for my neat handwriting.
As we grew older, Diwali became even more special, not just for the sweets and family gatherings, but also for the joy of hanging out with friends and lighting fireworks. When I became a student of Jamia Millia Islamia, I used to celebrate Diwali at my uncle Ashok Singh Chauhan’s house. His children and I used to have fun all night long. Those nights were filled with laughter and fun, as my uncle would always make sure to bring crackers for me, just like he did for his own children. Even during my stay in Mumbai, I found that Diwali‘s vibrancy, or rather the biggest celebration, was seen in the Muhammad Ali Road area, which is a Muslim-majority area.
Even now, every year during Diwali, these childhood memories are vivid in my mind every moment. However, all this seems to be a thing of the past now. No one is making clay houses, nor are there clay toys, nor is anyone sending or feeding sweets. And if you are outside the country, there is no one to congratulate this festival. Mostly it happens that if you wish Diwali to 500 people on WhatsApp, 10 or 20 people will respond. And now the atmosphere of the country has become such that people have to think even before congratulating me, lest I be accused of using the “Word Jihad”.
Almost 15 years ago, I renamed ‘Diwali’ in Urdu to “Eid-E-Chiraghan”. Although the word “Jashn-E-Chiraghan” has been used for centuries, it just didn’t capture the festive spirit I wanted. So, I felt “Eid-E-Chiraghan” was a more fitting term. Initially, some friends were upset about the change, but over time, people began wishing each other “Eid-E-Chiraghan” on social media. Recently, however, a BJP leader labeled this shift as ‘the word Jihad.’ It was then that I learned I had been labeled a ‘Word Jihadi’ for the past 15 years. They see a problem in words “Jashn-E-Roshani” and “Noor”. They are saying that these jihadists are trying to Islamize Diwali. In such a case, if the term “Eid-E-Chiraghan” reaches them, only their God knows what will happen to their hearts.
I don’t care what goes through their hearts but I am worried about how Hindu extremists are weaponizing all our festivals, the same festivals that used to bring people of different religions together will start alienating people from each other. Diwali had been largely untouched by this division, but for some years now the festival of Diwali has also been used to increase the distance between the Hindus and Muslims of the country. The rise of hatred is alarming; I have seen numerous videos on social media showing individuals from specific groups throwing firecrackers at mosques. This trend has been escalating over the past few years, and it’s deeply troubling. I have been noticing such incidents continuously for the past few years. This time, in various cities across the country, members of Bajrang Dal have told Hindus not to shop from non-Hindu stores during the festival, and this move by Bajrang Dal has been justified in the media. Just think! Can Bajrang Dal or those who talk about the economic boycott of Muslims make such an appeal on Muslim festivals that they should not sell their goods to Muslims? Don’t worry, they won’t do it because it’s to their own detriment.
Here I have tried to document some of the events happening across the country in the name of Diwali. These are only those incidents that have become popular on social media or reported by various websites.
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: Tension spread in the entire village of Gotha Khanduwa village of the Ramnagar block of Aonla tehsil after the number ‘786’ (culturally some Muslims have been using this number which represents their identity) was written on a temple on Diwali. Locals allege that anti-social elements have deliberately written this number on the temple wall to disturb religious harmony. However, in this case, village head Babli Sharma and Vivek Sharma have written to the police that a child wrote this. It is to be noted that in the last few years, many such cases have come to light where idols in temples have been broken by anti-social elements from the Hindu community itself to spread communal tension in society.
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: There was a dispute over Diwali crackers in the Hafizganj police station area. The Hindus alleged that the Muslim mob pelted stones at the house of a Hindu youth who was bursting crackers, while the Muslims say that crackers were being thrown at people and in their houses.
Bhagalpur, Bihar: An armed Hindutva mob targeted the Imambara during the idol immersion after Kali Puja on the occasion of Diwali and tried to vitiate the communal atmosphere. A man climbed the wall and started waving a saffron flag, while some other Hindu men were found waving Israeli flags near the holy building. The mob also played extremely objectionable songs full of abusive words and insulted women, while some people were seen waving swords in the air to intimidate the Muslim community and endanger the peace and harmony of the area.
Faridabad, Haryana: Two days before Diwali, a Hindu family living in Subhash Colony of Vallabhgarh is accused of being attacked by neighbouring Muslim families. The Hindu family says that their son was bursting firecrackers. As a result, they entered the house, abused them, and beat them up.
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh: In the village of Pakri in the Gagaha area, a dispute arose during laughter and fun on Diwali night at nine o’clock. Six people were injured in the fight between the two communities, with two of them in serious condition.
Indore, Madhya Pradesh: In the Chhatri Pura police station area, a dispute over the burning of firecrackers escalated between two groups, leading to communal tension. Stones were thrown at a mosque, and there was also an incident of arson. It is alleged that Muslims were attacked with swords. Following this incident, Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav said, “No one can stop bursting crackers in our government.” He warned that strict action would be taken against any attempt to spoil communal harmony.
Junagarh, Gujarat: In the village of Mangrol, an attempt was made to disturb the atmosphere on Diwali night by throwing firecrackers inside a mosque. A similar video has also emerged from Wankaner in Gujarat’s Morbi district, showing three people on a motorcycle approaching the mosque and throwing firecrackers inside.
Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh: On the day after Diwali, the news of a 10-year-old boy, Aryan’s death came in. The family members alleged that he had gone to play at a fairground located in a Muslim neighborhood, where his throat was slit and he was killed. Following these allegations, Bajrang Dal activists began creating a ruckus. Tensions between communities started rising in the nearby villages. However, the police have now clarified that there is no communal angle to the death. The child’s death was caused by a firecracker.
Kolkata, West Bengal: BJP leaders alleged that Muslims attacked Kali Puja pandals and idol immersion procession in the Rajabazar area. This allegation went viral on social media. But Kolkata Police said that the social media posts related to vandalism at Kali Puja pandals are misleading and baseless. The police also clearly stated that “No Kali Puja immersion procession was attacked. The issue was related to the parking of a bike which led to a fight between two individuals which further escalated.”
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra: There has been a report of a dispute between two communities outside the Panchanand Society in Sector 9 of Taloja. It is alleged that a member of the Muslim community objected to the decorations for the Diwali festival in the public areas and streets of the building. The media has exaggerated this incident. Meanwhile, residents of the society stated that in June of this year, a Muslim individual was prevented from bringing a goat for Bakrid in the same society, after which the residents decided not to celebrate any festivals or cultural events in the common areas of the society.
Muzaffarpur, Bihar: On the night of Diwali, a clash broke out between two communities in the Mithanpura police station area over Kali Puja. District Magistrate Subrata Kumar Sen stated that some people were trying to install a new idol at night, even though there was already a decision from the panchayat that no new construction would take place in that area.
Odisha: According to a video being shared on social media, firecrackers are being repeatedly thrown at some Muslim homes here. In the video, boys can be heard using abusive language and shouting “Pakistan”.
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: A Hindu extremist harassed the teachers and students of Stella Maris School, a Christian missionary institution, for organizing a students’ demonstration titled “Happy Diwali, Safe Diwali”. He verbally abuses them and starts chanting “Jai Shree Ram” and forces the students to chant along. Later, BJP leader Kalla Ashok Kumar burst crackers outside the school in retaliation against their demonstration for a pollution-free Diwali.
Such hateful incidents may have happened in other places in the country, which have not made headlines in any media so far. And all this is happening because of growing hatred in the country. Those thinking of making India a Hindu nation do not want any kind of brotherhood in the country. All these incidents are presented by the media in such a way that the message is sent to the society that Muslims are responsible for all of them, they have always had a problem with our festivals and they want to ruin our festivals. Although it is a different thing that we have always read in history books that many Muslim rulers of India celebrated Diwali, showing their generosity. Emperor Akbar took a special interest in Diwali. It has also been mentioned by Abul Fazl in his book Ain-e Akbari. Fireworks were widely used during this period as well. Like the Muslim festivals, the palaces of the kings were illuminated on Diwali. Emperor Akbar installed a large lamp (earthen pot) on a 40-yard-high pillar so that his subjects could see the lights of the emperor’s palace. But now these Hindutva-minded people want to erase all the history of the Mughal era forever. So, all these kings of the Mughal era are now villains for this country.
Despite this, the Muslims of India seem to be making every possible effort to maintain the social harmony of their country. According to media reports, there is a village in Dumka in Jharkhand where there is only one Hindu family in a Muslim population of around 4500 and Kali Puja is celebrated here with the support of the Muslim community.
Yet, there is a narrative that claims Hindus in India are under threat, positioning minorities, especially Muslims, as the enemies (of their own beloved country, India).
This painful state of reality reminds me of a couplet by Urdu poet Iqbal Azeem:
is jashn-e-charāġhāñ se to behtar the añdhere
in jhūTe charāġhoñ ko bujhā kyuuñ nahīñ dete
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