Today, Diwali has become almost as widespread a Guyanese festival as Christmas used to be during
colonial days. For the past five years, one group has erected a “National Diya” at Rahaman Park – at the confluence of roads leading to all the regions of Guyana. This year, they lit six diyas, symbolising the vaunted “six peoples” of Guyana. Most schools now routinely have their students create intricate displays of “Rangolis”, which are associated with Diwali. Most corporate businesses have followed suit. Various “motorcades”, with spectacularly decorated and illuminated vehicles and tableaux, would have culminated last night on the East Coast of Demerara, after the regional variants during the last week.
Today, Hindu families would have meticulously cleaned their homes; befitting the welcoming of the Goddess Lakshmi this evening. Sumptuous vegetarian dishes would have been prepared with the emphasis of traditional sweets. “Diwali night” in Guyana, is actually the third and darkest night of the observation of a five-day festival, but has come to symbolise the entire observance for many. Lakshmi represents that aspect of God who bestows wealth on humanity and it is not a coincidence that this is a female aspect, also associated with Earth and is the consort of Lord Vishnu, the aspect that preserves all creation.
But as with all Hindu commemorations, Diwali is intended to remind humanity of one or another of the fundamental lessons for mankind living successfully together in society. It would be a rarity for Guyanese not to know that the festival symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. But it also signifies the victory of knowledge over ignorance. Today in Guyana, each of these facets of the same truth need to be brought to the fore more than ever. Much of Hindu teachings are in the form of narratives and there are several that have become associated with Diwali and which may be useful to the nation.
The major story is of Prince Ram and his wife Mother Sita, returning to their Kingdom of Ayodhya on Diwali night after a 14-year banishment. They are also the incarnations of Lord Vishnu and Mother Lakshmi whose sojurn on earth are meant as guides for humanity. The story emphasises that there are challenges in all societies, but a ruler must be guided by the welfare of his people in his actions and if necessary, make the ultimate sacrifice for their benefit. One other lesson is that evil must be actively confronted as Lord Ram did against Ravan, and that each citizen can and must play a part in this battle.
The victory of knowledge against ignorance is key for all mankind in every aspect of their lives since it precedes any other victories that are necessary to live the “good life”. It is because of ignorance, for instance, that most of us follow leaders who act in the most reprehensible manner, both in their private and public lives. Lord Ram’s life, as with all of God’s incarnations, can give us the knowledge of how a person should only act as a leader of the people or nation, but also as a brother, a husband, a son, a teacher and a friend. Lord Ram himself had to taught not just the art of warfare, but about values by his teacher who exemplified those values in his own life.
And perchance this might be the message of Diwali 2019: since we are in the midst of the process of selecting a leader of Guyana we need to go beyond the rhetoric that will be spouted on platforms until March 2, 2010 and look at the actions of those presenting themselves for leadership. A small majority of Guyanese had to have believed the rhetoric of the APNU/AFC coalition in 2015 to have elected them into government at the last elections. They made all sorts of promises – to each other in the Cummingsburg Accord and to the people of Guyana in their Manifesto. How much did their words match their deeds? Happy Diwali Guyana!
