Diwali celebration in Peshawar served as a platform for promoting unity and harmony among people of diverse religions by allowing them to mingle up with each other for expressing joy and solidarity with Hindu community over observance of biggest festival of their religion.
The event was organized by Blue Veins, a non-governmental organization, with support from National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and Directorate General of Law and Human Rights Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
People from diverse religions including Muslims, Hindu, Sikhs, Christians and Bahai community attended the celebrations and enjoyed spreading of colours, candle lighting, lamps lit and distribution of sweets.
“The best way to promote interfaith harmony in society is celebrations of religious festivals by people of different faiths,” comments Subhash Chander, a Minority Rights Activist
who was much jubilant over participation of Muslims, Christians and Sikhs over celebration of religious festival of Hindu community.
Subhash recalled that his father used to arrange new attire for him and his sibling on every Eid-ul-Fitar, religious festival of Muslims after observance of one month of fasting.
“This was the true spirit of unity and mutual co-existence which our elders practiced and needs to be continued by us and our coming generations,” Subhash stressed.
He thanked Blue Veins and other partners for taking such a courageous initiative which has not only won the hearts of Hindu community, but will also promote sentiments of inter-faith harmony and mutual cohesion.
Subhash also welcomed Diwali celebration messages from different people and organizations on social media, reflecting sensitivity of people about respect and honour for religious festivals of minorities.
Earlier, a representative of Hindu community apprised participants about the background of Diwali festival which honours victorious return of Lord Rama, one of Hinduism most revered figures, from exile.
While explaining importance of firework during the celebrations, he said the festival is known as the festival of lights to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness or good over evil.
Sahibzada Haider from Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Department appreciated the efforts of organizers of the event in bringing people of different faith on one platform.
Director General Directorate of Law and Human Rights KP, Ghulam Ali said government of Pakistan has issued directives for celebrations of religious festivals of all of communities for expression of solidarity and unanimity with them.
He asked minority community members to approach Directorate General of Law and Human Rights for seeking justice on all issues of injustices or disparity.
Ghulam Ali said holding of such events is need of the hour to reduce the gap between people of different religions. Provincial Coordinator NCHR Muhammad Rizwan highlighted efforts made by government for promotion of unity and inter-faith harmony in the country.
Programme Manager Blue Veins, Qamar Naseem observed in his speech that we are living in a multi faith society and for making our country progressive we have to accept diversity by according respect to religious festivals of other communities.
Qamar said the purpose of arranging joint celebration of Diwali is to foster stronger social bonds by providing a platform to people from diverse communities to come together.
Later, Rang Holi ceremony was also observed wherein people gathered over beautiful arrangements of different colour, lit lamps and distributed candies.