However, while Eid has come to be associated with two specific Islamic festivals, Diwali has come to be identified with the Hindu festival of lights. The controversy, therefore, is neither about the meaning of ‘Eid’ nor about the meaning of the phrase ‘Eid of happiness’ when used to describe Diwali. It stems from the BJP’s politics, which frowns upon everything that sounds even remotely Islamic. The phrase provided the party with a handle to whip up passions by insinuating that it was somehow a slur, deliberately used to mock the Hindu festival.
The debate would also have to take into account the fact that the word eid in Arabic, Persian and Urdu originally described the ‘nature’ of the occasion as joyous, while the word ‘Diwali’ described an essential part or symbol of the occasion — a row or festival of lamps. Linguists would therefore argue that Eid has a broader lexical meaning than Diwali. An Arabic speaker could use the word to describe even a ‘national festival’. Diwali, in contrast, is the proper name of one particular tradition or festival.
However, most people in South Asia have come to associate the word eid with the Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Similarly, Diwali has come to mean the Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness. Traditionally, Hindus and Muslims have celebrated festivals together, and it is not uncommon to see Hindus attending iftaars and partaking of feasts hosted by Muslims. Similarly, Muslims celebrate Diwali with lamps and sweets, without necessarily observing the religious rituals associated with the occasion.
But trust the BJP and its followers to divide festivals and twist even the meanings of words. It is not uncommon to find Hindus using the greeting ‘Diwali mubarak’. The Arabic word mubarak is frequently used in expressions such as janamdin mubarak (happy birthday), shaadi mubarak (congratulations on your marriage), Eid mubarak (happy Eid) and Holi mubarak (happy Holi).
BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha, however, took the cake when he found yet another reason to criticise the phrase ‘Eid of happiness’. Muslims, he said, celebrate Eid only twice a year, but the Congress party wants to celebrate every Hindu festival as ‘khushiyon ki Eid’.
Make whatever sense you want to make of it.
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