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Journalism of Courage
Holi, the festival of colours, represents the triumph of good over evil. The first day of the festivities, also known as Chhoti Holi or Holika Dahan, is an integral part of the festival, where it is widely believed that all inauspicious events come to an end after the bonfire. Taking a cue from this mythological story of Prahlad and Holika, people in Mumbai celebrated Chhoti Holi in a unique way. Instead of a regular bonfire, they burnt an effigy of Nirav Modi, a diamond merchant who is being investigated after Punjab National Bank disclosed an Rs 11,000 crore fraud allegedly led by him.
Yes, at Mumbai’s BDD Chawl in Worli area, residents erected a big effigy of the businessman, who left India a week before PNB detected fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 11,000 crore. The 50-feet tall effigy portrayed the merchant sitting on a throne with a big placard referring to the PNB scam. As Holika Dahan signifies a victory of good over evil, the residents chose Nirav Modi this year. Over the last eight years, the residents of the society have picked relevant and contemporary issues to highlight during such festivals.
As the photos of the effigy were shared on social media, it got Netizens talking. On Twitter, many started retweeting and sharing the photos and hoped that necessary action will be taken against him soon.
https://twitter.com/sandeepankr/status/969095059038617601
https://twitter.com/funnyleone/status/969119329500454912
Not just Nirav Modi, but the deadly fire at Kamala Mills too featured in this year’s Holika Dahan ritual. In another part of the city, residents of Panchsheel Society burnt a giant hookah that symbolised the fire tragedy. “We want to give a message that hookah burnt down Kamala Mills & will do the same to your life. Hookah hum nahi jalate, hookah hamein jalata hai,” they told news agency ANI.
