Diwali, my take
By Harshi Gadudasu, Wisteria Magazine
The Festival of Lights, or Diwali, is a holiday celebrated by observers all over the world.
Derived from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, specifically the story where Lord Rama returns to his home with his family after years of exile, and after saving his wife from the evil king, Ravana. Commoners and devotees illuminate their path home with small lamps called diyas in the darkness of the night. Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the return of peace.
When I think of Diwali, I think of warmth. My family spends hours placing intricate decorations around our home. I get to wear a new dress every year. We invite our friends over for a party. We eat amazing food. And we light fireworks. The dark sky and November wind make my cheeks feel raw and frozen, but we huddle together and draw shapes with our sparklers in the air. The closeness and companionship is something universally felt by observers of Diwali.
Last year was a very interesting year for my family at Diwali. My friends and I overheard the uncles chatting about politics, something not uncommon at every party we go to. We always find ourselves eavesdropping on the wide variety of political opinions at our Diwali parties, and whether we agree or not, we choose to remain silent--it was never really our business.
But this time was different.
I decided to sit at the long wooden table in our dining room with my dinner alongside the uncles. My friends followed soon after. And I listened. And I spoke. And my friends spoke with me.
We chatted for hours, defending our opposition to the claims they made. What stuck out to me was the sheer difference in what guided our view; the uncles were more focused on the nostalgic values that they grew up with--to get stronger individually, and then succeed from there. It is a principle that guides many immigrants to the states, because America is supposed to be the apex of success. Meanwhile, my friends and I were incredibly focused on how the choices of today would affect our future as a generation, or a community. 2019 was a sort of a mass wakeup call for our generation, with the looming threat of climate change and the idea that Trump might return for a second term. We collectively realized one thing in particular: what we do now will echo back to us in the near future.
I personally believe that somewhere along the line of our conversations and debates, our reasons changed from wanting to hear alternate perspectives to trying to make a case for ourselves. A case for why the older generations needed to vote, change their views, and alter their actions to ensure a future for us, the younger generations. My friends and I spoke about the fossil fuel industry, the economy, the dangers of capitalism, and why they should care about voting in the next election. And they spoke back, telling us all of the things we could change to benefit my future (studying hard, getting a good job, telling older friends to vote, and considering healthier habits in our own lifestyles).
Teenagers today have so many opportunities to use their voices in so many different ways. I could voice my thoughts in an instagram caption or a blog post or a youtube video, and the message would reach any number of people. We explained to our elders that we are aware of our voices, we are aware of our opportunities, and it would be a waste not to put them to good use!
It’s also important to understand the difference between us, first-gen South Asians who have access to these outlets, and our parents, whose compliance and silence was sort of expected of them. Conversations between immigrant children and their parents can be extremely difficult when you acknowledge the differences between how we were raised to receive and react to controversial information. Simple talks can turn into screaming matches. Communication is hard.
However, this healthy transfer of information, this stable debate where both sides brought valid points to the table, completely combatted that. We felt the close comradery where our true views intersected: wanting a valuable future for us both as individual people and also as their children.
Soon, more and more people began to join the conversation. Our moms and the rest of the auntys started to listen in to what we were saying, adding in their own opinions and comments. My favorite part of the night was when my uncle, after hearing us speak about how we should use our voices, made his own daughters in elementary school sit with us to listen and learn. It was heartwarming to see girls of such a young age eager to learn how to use their voices for their thoughts and beliefs. The Gadudasu 2019 Diwali Party was a night where conversation transcended the generational gaps between us and our parents.
Diwali is not only a religious holiday, but also a night to share with the people you love and to appreciate the light you have in your life. This year, Diwali falls on Saturday November, 14. Let’s make sure to wish light that illuminates the darkness in everyone’s life.
So from the Wisteria team to you all, our lovely readers, Happy Diwali!
