Happy Harvesting

Lohri makes me nostalgic as in our childhood, it was a big festival in Delhi celebrated with much pageant and gaiety.

While lighting of pyre and the fun of standing around the fire in bitter cold was an unmatched experience, the small eatables such as groundnuts, gajak and rewri added to the festivity. Children forming groups and singing Lohri folk song Sunder Mundriye and asking for Lohri, which in those days used to be 5 or 10 paise, added to the fervour of this festival. I think this tradition of asking for money by children on festive occasions is common to Punjab and I have heard similar stories about “ Eidi”.

Of course, festival hastraditional, religious and regional significance attached to it and these stories are well known and I am not repeating them.

What, however, bleeds my heart that the farmers who should be harvesting their crops and celebrating this festival on their farms by dancing to the tune of Bhangra are agitating against farm bills by sitting in at Delhi border under the most severe cold condition? Let’s pray for amicable end to this agitation on the occasion of this Lohri!

Happy Lohri as also Makar Sankranti, Bihu and Pongal! While harvesting is used in relation to crops, I pray that this time these harvesting festivals help us reap peace, health, brotherhood and happiness!