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Saturday, November 28, 2009
Eidul Azha, one of the most important holidays on the Muslim calendar, should be a time of celebration and joy as families come together to make the traditional sacrifice. No doubt we will see much of that this year too. But there are reasons why the rejoicing will not be quite as extensive as it should be. High rates of inflation have eaten into many household budgets. People have little left for special occasions. Everywhere in our country there are families unable to purchase the new clothes and shoes which should be, for every child at least, a part of Eid. The prices of food items have risen too immediately before the festival – while the steady increase in the price of utilities affects many. The distribution of sacrificial meat will bring some delight, but the fact too is that it will be short-lived. The threat of terror attacks too, most notably in the larger cities north of the country, has also thrown a damper on celebrations. Traders report that shoppers have been reluctant to come out and the parks that fill on holidays have appeared distinctly less crowded than in the past. This in itself is a reminder of the toll terrorism is taking on our lives and affecting every aspect of it. The growing sense of political uncertainty adds to the gloom that takes some of the glitter away from Eid.
But the capacity of ordinary people to continue with their lives despite the odds is also quite extraordinary. We have seen this too everywhere. The exorbitant rates at which sacrificial animals are sold put them out of the reach of many. But ways have been found to share animals and to participate in the events that make Eidul Azha such a special occasion. In the final run, people find some way to get on with life and ensure that they can find festivity, no matter how great the odds. Occasions like these act also to expose the gaps in society. The wealthy are relatively unaffected by the hardships others face. There will, as always, be two kinds of Eid in the country: one for the privileged and the other for the impoverished. The real challenge for all of us – the government as well as citizens and welfare groups of every kind – should be to find ways to narrow this distance, so the time comes when people everywhere can enjoy festivals in a similar fashion, drawing all of us closer to each other as a nation.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
