Guinness world record-breaking Diwali in Ayodhya sparks controversy
In Uttar Pradesh, opposition is mounting after Hindu nationalist Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has 2.6 million oil lamps lit for the Festival of Lights. For some it was a waste of resources taken from the poor, a view seen as anti-Indian by the ruling BJP. For Father Anand Mathew, while inequalities are growing, and many, especially Muslims, are suffering, Diwali remains a “joyous celebration” for all.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – This year’s record-breaking Diwali celebrations in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have sparked political controversy. Held at the majestic new Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, it saw more than 2.6 million diyas (earthen lamps) lit at once for the Hindu Festival of Lights.
Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav attacked the state government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the huge Deepotsav (festival of lamps). Calling it a wasteful expenditure, he said that public funds should be directed to public projects that benefit all rather than promoting self-aggrandising initiatives.
Yadav posted a video on social media showing people collecting leftover oil from diyas after Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, a sign of the difficult economic conditions that underscore the city's lavish festivities.
“The truth is these scenes," he noted, “not the spectacle that people showed and left. This darkness after the light is not good,” he explained.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with other BJP leaders, responded by forcefully defending the event.
They accused Yadav of being "anti-Ram" and mocked him for opposing a festival that symbolises cultural revival and devotion, claiming that the opposition harbours a "foreign mentality”, disrespectful of Indian traditions.
Adityanath contrasted the lighting of lamps with the time when, he alleges, the SP government fired at Ram devotees, a reference to the clashes around the sacred site, historically disputed between Hindus and Muslims, who had converted it into a mosque.
Fr Anand Mathew, a social activist and a member of the Indian Missionary Society (IMS) based in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), spoke to AsiaNews about the controversy over the Guinness world record-breaking Diwali.
“The widening gap between the wealthy and the poor is increasing,” he said. “Local residents and businesses have suffered. Government compensation was too low for land acquisition for those who had owned property for decades. Muslim shopkeepers, whose businesses historically cater to Hindu pilgrims, were either harassed or displaced.”
Yet, for Fr Mathew, Diwali “is a joyous celebration for Christians in North India. In most IMS churches and institutions, Diwali is celebrated in a big way. Yesterday, we celebrated Mass of Christ Light of the World, our churches and institutions are decorated, with marigold flowers, diyas, and rangoli (folk art). We offered wishes to each other. There are festivities all around.”
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14/07/2021 16:34
