Diwali: What Pakistani Hindus say about celebrating Diwali

Last week, while talking to members of the Hindu community in Pakistan about how they celebrate Diwali, I hit upon an interesting conversation. “Which version of Diwali are you really interested in hearing about?” I was asked. “Do you want mawkish portrayals of a minority community celebrating their religious festival in a seemingly tolerant country? Or do you want examples of how close-minded and petty the state can be to a people that faces open persecution?”I got the point. There was no one all-encompassing answer to describe how Hindus celebrate Diwali in Pakistan, but one thing was clear — that the festival holds a special place in the minds and hearts of the people.While Diwali has a significant presence in Punjab, where the gurudwara and the mandir exist in the same compound; the largest celebrations are in the province of Sindh and those regions bordering Balochistan, where majority of Pakistan's Hindu population live. Outside cities like Hyderabad and Karachi, in the interiors of Sindh, like Umerkot and Tharparkar, Muslims openly reciprocate by paying courtesy calls to neighbours with gifts and sweets, just as Hindus do on Eid.It is a hugely joyous affair in this region, except the Ghotki (Sindh) belt, where the infamous cleric Mian Mithu, who is behind the horror stories of forced conversions and kidnappings, holds sway. (Mithu allegedly provides religious sanction and sanctuary to Pakistani men who abduct and forcibly marry underage Hindu girls.)medium nocaption87460260As I spoke to Pakistani Hindus about their experiences — almost wishful of wanting to hear stories only about peace and harmony — I got a ringside view of what it’s like to live as a member of a marginalised community on the fringes of society. Of listening to their hopes and fears. In the process I got an opportunity to listen to a folk reading of the Ramayana and of someone quoting passages of Shashi Tharoor’s Why I’m A Hindu. Many also spoke candidly on fundamentalism and how it not only robs Islam but other faith too.Some parents told me they look forward to Diwali as it is an occasion to buy new clothes for the children, decorate their home with lights, prepare special feasts, burst firecrackers and buy sweets for their neighbours. But some young people also said that come Diwali their elders warn them to lie low and not make a show of their Hindu identity, lest it invites trouble.Hindus in Karachi, however, had the most different experiences. How Diwali is celebrated whole-heartedly. The only time it was a quiet affair, one person remembers, was in 1992 when the year Babri Masjid was demolished. Of course, there is always a spoilsport to watch out for during this time, who is looking to make trouble, and is likely to head to the police station to complain at the drop of a hat.Even the Pakistani media covers celebrations across the country. The moderate news anchors wish their viewers a happy Diwali! No one particularly has an outright problem with this.But there’s also no denying that the community is always trying to lurk in the darkness, even during the festival of lights, and avoid unpleasant situations at all costs. One dead giveaway is always your name.After all, you do not want to plaster your name outside your home. You want all delivery packages addressed to that member of the family whose name sounds most Muslim. You spend your life trying hard not to be easily identified or singled out.medium nocaption87460281And so the home, the private space, sometimes becomes claustrophobic, because you don't want run-ins with neighbours and people looking for trouble. But a lot of times, it's the workplace and educational institutions, which are places of refuge for minorities, as they're far more liberal and accepting. It’s always the colleague or a peer who makes the most effort, one person tells me, by getting you mithai or hosting a special programme to celebrate the festival, making you feel at home.Of course, where you live in Pakistan makes a huge deal, but not always. You could be in small town, where a religiously conservative neighbour, who forbids women in his family from pursuing higher education and paid work, still makes sure that the family visits you on Diwali and lights some sparklers; or you could live in a cosmopolitan city and remain hidden in anonymity, where people are constantly trying to guess our ethnicity to decide how they treat you. Just like in India, your caste, community and class play a major factor too.There is one thing that Pakistani Hindus will have in common with their compatriots from other faiths this year though. After the lowkey celebrations, courtesy Covid, festivities this time have been marred with inflation and rising prices.More than persecution, families are grappling with the pressure of managing their expenses. There will always be two Pakistans, in my opinion, for the Pakistani Hindu community. May they both, however, find one that welcomes and protects them in the coming new year.Views expressed in the piece are personal