Bhogi Bashing and Selective Shaming of Hindu Festivals

There is much heated debate going around over the selective Targeting and Shaming of Hindu festivals. They are often trivialized by setting false binary like Right v/s Left etc. but it is no longer a secret that the selective targeting of Hindu Festivals is very real and there are continuous and vicious attempts being made over the last few years to target each and every Hindu Festival in the name of environment, animal protection, humanity, austerity, woman empowerment, awareness and the list goes on. Seems like the festival of Bhogi celebrated in Southern parts of the country was on the hit list of liberals this year.

There was a report in connection to Bhogi celebration published in almost every leading newspapers but surprisingly didn’t get too much support and attention.  The news was about “The disruption of flight services at the Chennai airport on 13^th January this year due to the smoke caused by Bhogi festival celebrations in the city”.  Flight operations in Chennai were suspended for at least five hours due to thick smog and poor visibility on the runway as Tamil Nadu celebrated the beginning of Pongal festivities with ‘Bhogi‘. The celebrations started with people setting bonfires on the streets with agricultural and household waste. The Air Quality Index in several parts of the city was in the “hazardous” category. Train services too were affected.”

Take a look at some of the reports:

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Bhgi-fuelled-smog-delays-flights/article15144517.ece

https://www.ndtv.com/chennai-news/pongal-2018-its-mess-pongal-bonfire-smog-hits-flight-operations-in-chennai-1799480

http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/chennai-smog-tamil-nadu-capital-flight-schedules-go-for-a-toss-due-to-smog-from-pongal-celebrations/1013248/

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Flight-services-affected-in-Chennai-due-to-smog/articleshow/50571331.cms

http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/chennai-struggles-with-poor-air-quality-as-bhgi-celebrations-covers-city-in-smoke-5022665/

Before getting into the controversy media wanted to insinuate, let me give you a little insight about Bhogi Celebration. Bhogi is celebrated in the Southern states of India as the first day of the harvest festival of Pongal in honor of Lord Indra, “the God of Clouds and Rains”.

Lord Indra is worshiped by people for the abundance of harvest, thereby bringing plenty and prosperity to the land. It is the day when people discard old things and thus bring in new fortunes and prosperity in their lives. It is celebrated on the last day of the Tamil month of Margazhi and during Makar Sankranti during which the sun changes its position from the southern to the Northern hemisphere. It is very much similar to Lohri festival celebrated in Punjab and other parts of North India.

Now let us come to the news, which were presented in way that makes Bhogi Celebration for one day, the prime factor for air pollution and dismal conditions of people in Chennai. This was something the liberal cabal pulled off successfully in case of Diwali.

This was clearly another orchestrated drama to deride the Bhogi celebration by turning it into another Diwali quandary. One may argue about what is wrong in reporting if it is indeed a fact that flight services were disrupted due to smoke caused by burning during celebration of Bhogi festival. Also, one may appreciate that Media enjoys absolute freedom in this country and does not get intimidated in reporting incidents that may hurt people’s sentiments. Additionally, why people should suffer in the name of festival and celebration? These may seem valid arguments but won’t stand ground, if proven that the intentions behind these are malicious and resembles sheer hypocrisy as the very same cabal goes mum on similar issues while reporting festivals of other communities.

Hindus Festival Shaming has become the new ‘liberal’ sport in India. Sanctimonious Hindu-hating ‘elite’ have systematically tried to dis, dissect and disrespect Hindu traditions and festivals with a monotonous regularity in the last few years.

Have a look.

Holi

Karwa Chauth

Raksha Bandhan

…and the list is never ending…

If we examine the behaviour pattern of these journos, the festival that gets maximum bashing by these left leaning journalists is Diwali. During Diwali fest, all of them suddenly become environmentalists. Cracker less Diwali is highly publicized and promulgated by almost all leading newspapers and the gullible Hindu Reader is shamed into thinking that his 1 day Diwali celebration pollutes the environment for whole year. While the report has given a clean chit to Diwali. The same stunt was repeated by making Bhogi celebration responsible for poor air quality in Chennai. 

Now coming to the moot point, there must be some benchmark and consistency over dealing with environmental issues and celebration of festivals.

Is pollution a one-day problem?

What are the major steps Government and concerned organizations are considering for curbing pollution menace?

What is being done to make the people more aware about their environmental responsibilities?

What role is the media playing in teaching people how to dispose off garbage, conserve water, harvest rain water etc.?

The answer to all of it is a big astounding NOTHING. Selective targeting and shaming of Hindu festivals like Diwali and Bhogi seems to be the easy thing to do. There is nothing ‘pious’ about it, it simply reeks of a well-planned nefarious anti-Hindu agenda.

In the backdrop of fire crackers ban in Diwali and amidst so much hue and cry about pollution level in Delhi by festival shaming journalists and intellectuals, we may quote a report  published in January, 2016 by IIT Kanpur a “Comprehensive Study on Air Pollution and Green House Gases in Delhi”. The study focused on five components: air quality measurements, emission inventory, air quality modeling, control options and an action plan. The study, while underlining the role of road dust, also stressed on vehicular emissions. It said that moving vehicles contributed to over 50 percent of Delhi’s air pollution, and road dust (38 percent), vehicular pollution (20 percent), domestic sources (12 percent), industrial sources (11 percent) came in later.

There are many similar researches available and studies done by Government Organization and leading Institutes that expose the propaganda of these so called opportunistic environmentalists.

Do you realize that these so-called intellectuals who start making noise and begin lamenting every time when Hindu festivals are around the corner, have ever come up with a resolve like to use public transport rather than their own vehicles, minimizing use of ACs and abstain from ostentatious display of wealth etc, ever? It is ludicrous to even expect that from those festival shaming elites.

Of course, with time, people have changed their way of celebrating the festivals, and yes, some course correction is definitely needed. However, the course correction has to come from within the faith and cannot be dictated by some sanctimonious self-proclaimed ‘liberal’ for whom Hindu festivals mean little more than mere opportunities to mock Hindu festivals.  This subtle way of shaming each and every tradition of this great land must be stopped and countered with a befitting reply.

They may have failed to turn Bhogi into Diwali this time, but they will continue to do so until or unless people stop being apologetic and fight back against this ridicule.  In the end, justyou’re your information that on New Year’s day in Delhi over 300 flights were delayed and 8 flights were cancelled due to smog but has anyone blamed New Year’s celebration in Delhi & its neighbouring States for that? It is your answer if you still cannot see through hidden pernicious influence by these Hindu festival shaming groups.