Editorial

I punctuate my years with the religious and cultural festivals I observe. It makes sense, these are the times when we get the most days off at a stretch, we meet friends and family and it inadvertently becomes the most "happening" time of the year. I am person A before a long holiday, and person A1 after it. It helps me keep track of time, to think of things in segments.

If this privilege was taken away however, so much would be different. I can't imagine having to think of attending an exam the day after the most anticipated day of the year. The food alone would make it impossible for me to move!

Light and simple thoughts aside, the message delivered by these varying levels of importance given to festivals of different religions and cultures is stark. We are told our society is egalitarian, that we want to live in communal harmony, and no person is better than the other based on anything they can't control. And then we turn around and have a one-day vacation for a week-long religious festival. That's not okay.