My Dipawali Resolution

Prior to writing this post, I just visited Wikipedia and came to know that Dipawali is not only a significant festival in Hindu religion but it also plays an important role in other religions like Buddhism, Sikhism & Jainism. It is well known that in Hindu religion, Dipawali is the celebration of Sri Ramchandra’s return to Ajodhya after 14 years, it also signifies the victory of good over the evil & light over the darkness.
To continue with my resolution, its cause…. effect etc……I’ll first share a little bit about myself so as to make it a bit easier to understand ……….so please bear with it!!
Being born & brought up in Bhubaneswar, I still, have not been able to realize or accept the rapid changes that have taken place over the last few years. Roads are widen, growing no. of apartments, buildings, schools, colleges, traffic, cutting down of trees, changed lifestyles and a hell lot of other things........admits all this I long for the many other things which are forgotten.
Looking down my memories lane, I remember the place where I’ve spent most of my childhood, it was a small colony with few families around & there was a big open space in front of our house, to the other end there was a small mango yard and it was so dense & dark……. like the one’s we here in stories where “a big bad giant lived and never allowed any kid to come near him”, even we heard such stories like, "it’s the home of the person who once lived their and one day he died, now he is buried there and his ghost moves all around the place" so we never went close to that place. But during summer afternoons we could here the cuckoo’s singing from those mango trees and along with them I would start sing and yes not to forget those raw mangoes………yummiest (which my elder sister use to fetch for us).During winter season, the mornings use to be covered with fog and little drops of waters on the grass were collected and little birds would come to collect their food as well as sticks, threads and all sorts of things that we throw, they would pick them up one by one to build their nest. And whenever I lied down in our varanda and stared at the sky, thousands of twinkling stars will raise as many questions in my hearts as many stars are there in the sky. All this amazed me as a little kid. I’ve never played with barbi dolls and video games but the games we have played were much more interesting than your video games. Playing in the sand, running after the butterflies, creating shapes out of mud………..oh what a bliss it was. And yes, we never had any skin infections!
Back then people lived in somewhat harmony with the nature, like trees, birds, street dogs, cows…..everything. There were so many birds, healthy puppies seen around and whenever I visited the market with my father I have never ever seen someone return a cow or an ox without feeding it.
I won’t be shocked if someone fails to understand me, after all we are “DEVELOPING”.
But developing means what? And at the cost of what? I’ll keep that for another post.

So, My Dipawali resolution is to, not be a part of this selfish celebration. Every year, in the name of celebration…..and blah-blah reasons we cause so much harm……..i wont speak of air pollution & all that there is hardly someone who is not aware……sorry, informed about it but what about the poor animals & birds, I wonder where they must be hiding. Even, our pet cat “pusy” use to run and hide under the cot frightened of the noise and fire ……….. and the street dogs along with their little puppies will take shelter in drain pipes and bushes. Just think about birds & other creatures.
When I shared my thought with my brothers, my younger one said, “What’s the use? It’s not going to help them in any way”. To which I replied, “Why should I think that I’m helping someone, let’s help ourselves first. I just don’t want to do it. It might be a drop in the ocean but then what is an ocean? Collection of many such drops na… ”.
And think, if those creatures could speak won’t they say, “Enough man, we understand Sri Ramachandra came back after many years and you were so happy that you forgot us, but at least wake up now! Its been more than a decade. How long are we going to hide here & there, can’t you see it at all?”
The other way which has been adopted in DEVELOPED countries and towards which we are proceeding is keeping those animals in confinement…………which is the most pathetic thing man has ever done and will ever do. What makes us think that the earth is especially build for humans and the rest of the creatures are under its authority.
No points for the answer. With that I’ll end my post, wishing every one a very happy Dipawali and may this year it bring about a little lights within ourselves.