Divali, Diwali, Deepavali...whichever pronunciation various cultures use, it all means one thing–the festival of lights. Divali is a beautiful Hindu festival that is celebrated around this time annually. Here, the celebrations take place in sweltering heat or during continuous rainfall. Elsewhere, it is winter or the golden season of autumn or spring.
The festival of Divali celebrates light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Meaningfully, while the celebration extends over a five-day period, the central night of the festival's rituals coincides with the time when the new moon night of the Hindu lunisolar month of Kartika is at its darkest.
On the happy occasion of Divali, many families here, irrespective of their religion or philosophy of life, including agnostics, participate in the inspirational festival. They light up their homes with deyas, candles, or string up colourful lights and extend greetings to each other. It is part of our rich heritage to generously embrace the customs of fellow citizens in a way that epitomises the exemplary side of local culture.
If only the wishes, good tidings, and the integrity of festivals like Divali can last year round. If only the light of Divali could engrave into our hearts the virtues of charity, love, honesty and integrity. And if the integrity of the light that shines on people who we uphold as exemplars could be honoured by them, then how much farther can we advance onto pathways of greater cohesion and harmony?
What if the light of Divali could change the way some people think and behave. What type of individual or individuals would think up an advertisement to label an activist a "reptile?" What type of mind(s) could be so degenerate to write such trash, then proceed to design and produce the advertisement and pay to publish it? And, what type of person(s) would have had the time to engage in such loathsome behaviour?
All too frequently, we are faced with examples of the worst kind of leadership. The contemptible advertisement was ostensibly signed off by citizens for the highway which, of course, is nonsensical, since no individual or group of individuals has voiced objection to the highway. Admittedly, as appalling as the advertisement was, it served a useful purpose. It emphasised the need for the media to put proper systems in place to enforce advertising standards, especially in the run-up to national elections. All too often, the media claim that the ad was not sanctioned by management and it just slipped through!
Significantly, the advertisement was placed on a page facing an advertisement about a legal judgement on the highway. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications signed off the ad concerning the legal judgement. It is reasonable to assume that the placement of the reptilian advertisement was not a coincidence. Anyone who understands the process of scheduling advertisements knows that the advertiser, more than likely through an advertising agency, would have deliberately booked it to appear on the specific page–opposite the Government's ad.
The situation typifies the level of irresponsible and impoverished approach to problem resolution at the national level. Where we expect light, we get darkness. Where we anticipate knowledge and wisdom, we get ignorance. When we hope for maturity and competence, we get ineptitude. Politically, confidence-building, down-to-earth and honest communication is often substituted for distortion, depravity and outright lies.
Still, it is hopeful that by some merciful power a bright light will shine on this country so those who seek to influence us would be guided by ethical principles and standards of decency. Hopefully, with a little enlightenment, arrogance and crudity would give way to humility, compassion, and the level of sophistication that comes with maturity. And, if civil society continues to hold a torch to light the path of governance, its own pathways will be brightened.
How much the country needs light to penetrate the minds of people in positions of power so they may seek to resolve complex issues fair-mindedly and wisely...that they would genuinely put public interest over ego and private interests...that they would respect contrasting opinions with the esteem becoming of the offices they hold.
Light–it shines where there is truth, integrity, transparency, and the spirit of generosity. It shines when people have the courage of their convictions and passion for civility.
How can we strive for enlightenment...to acquire knowledge that erases ignorance, to transplant wickedness with graciousness, and to actively work toward changing the poor leadership culture to productive leadership–whether among groups, institutions or government–and not despair? Within every problem, there are opportunities to advance the country. But admittedly, it's always a challenge to influence the minds of people who know better than their performance suggests. They are adept at using the glare of light to obscure the truth. Certainly, it's up to each of us to dare reach into the darkness to influence or pull others into the light.