Happy Holi from the Leader of the Opposition

Greg and I, and our extended UNC family, extend best wishes to you on this joyous celebration and we urge you to participate with friends and family, enjoying the full exuberance associated with this special event.

Today, thousands of our people are celebrating the colourful Hindu festival of Holi at centres across the country, joining their counterparts in India and various other countries where the Diaspora continues to maintain their cultural traditions.

Holi or Phagwa, is both a celebratory spring festival and a solemn religious one that focuses on faith and the struggle between evil and good. It coincides with the harvest and entire communities celebrate together.

Its spiritual message is important in our daily lives, especially given the decaying morals in our society today encouraged by materialism, greed and the obsession with worldly pleasures.

The festival originates in Hindu scriptures at the time of Krishna, an incarnation of the Vishnu. King Hiranyakshyap was a dedicated devotee of God and had received a promise from God that he would not die in the day or the night and neither man nor beast would vanquish him. He became so powerful he considered himself a God and established a dictatorial rule making his subjects worship him. However, his son Prince Prahalad, had a different view. The young prince worshiped the true God much to the annoyance to his father who used many methods to kill his offspring. All failed until king’s sister was ordered to deal with the upstart prince. Like her brother, Holika also had special powers, including a gift that she could not die by fire. She took Prahald in her lap and sat in a blazing fire, hoping to kill the boy but he lived because of his faith in God and Holika perished. That is why as part of the celebration effigies of Holika will be set on fire to symbolise the defeat of evil by the forces of good. God dealt with the evil king by manifesting as Narsingh – half man, half beast. He appeared at dusk and destroyed the king who was the embodiment of evil.
Holi also celebrates Radha and Krishna and the colour and gaiety are associated with this divine couple.

In all its spiritual manifestations, the celebration of Holi shows that extreme devotion to God removes every obstacle and evil has no chance of taking hold where people are virtuous and keep God in their hearts and their lives.

The message of Holi is of particular significance to contemporary society where too many people resort to evil and devious practices for small gains while punishing those who are honest. The celebration shows the value of being truthful and honest, which are necessary characteristics to fight and conquer evil.

Holi is also a time to enjoy the company of friends and frolic, dance and sing in the tradition of Lord Krishna and Radha.

Greg and I, and our extended UNC family, extend best wishes to you on this joyous celebration and we urge you to participate with friends and family, enjoying the full exuberance associated with this special event.