Hindu community expresses solidarity with Indian Muslims as it celebrates Holi in Karachi

Though Holi is a festival of colours and symbolises the victory of good over evil, Karachi’s Hindu community celebrated the festival with simplicity on Monday to express solidarity with Indian Muslims facing violence in Delhi.

Before starting the celebrations, a large number of the Hindu community members prayed at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Karachi for the Indian Muslims and dedicated the colourful religious festival as a message of peace against violence.

In other parts of the city, including Lyari, Narayanpura, Ranchore Line and Arambagh, where the majority of the Hindu community resides, the festival was celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety. Muslim activists also joined the Hindu community to celebrate the festival with them in some areas. Special arrangements for Holka Fire were also made in several temples where people threw coloured water and coloured powder at each other.

Seema Maheshwary, a human rights activist and Hindu community representative, said Holi is a festival of colours which basically tells us that goodness is always superior to evil. Every year, the Hindu community celebrates Holi with zeal and fervour, but this year the community members decided to show solidarity with the Indian Muslims.

“Today, when worship began at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Swami Jee said that we have to show sympathy for Muslim brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the recent unrest in Delhi, India,” said Maheshwary, adding that Pakistan’s Hindu community believed that Muslims were victims of violence, and the Muslims in India deserved the sympathy of the Hindu community in Pakistan.

She said that not only the Hindu community but Muslim activists and Muslim friends of Hindus also celebrate Holi, Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and other traditional Hindu festivals with them.

“I always participate in festivals of religious minorities because it keeps the society united. Through such festivals, we can promote interfaith harmony,” said Naghma Shiekh, a human rights activist.

She said that Holi was an important occasion for the Hindu community and colours had no religion; they reflected happiness, joys and goodness. In his press statement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hunaid Lakhani said Holi was a festival of happiness and we had to celebrate this festival together. Pakistan’s Hindu community had played an important role in the country’s development. Hindus were equally important citizens of Pakistan and no one should be victimised on the basis of religion.