Deepavali or Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, will be celebrated tomorrow across India and by the Indian community throughout the world. Like Eid and Christmas, the occasion is marked by family get-togethers and the exchanges of greetings, gifts and sweets.
But Diwali is much more than a mere celebration; what the festival really stands for is a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment to friendship and goodwill and a recognition of the simple joys of life. There is also a personal element to it that requires all of us to bring light to those areas of our lives and of the lives of those in society that are in darkness, to remove ignorance and greed and to reject hatred and violence.
This is why the simple “lamp” that will be lit today in many Indian households ought to remind us that no matter how limited our means are, we should make every effort to make our world a brighter place by illuminating the lives of others.
