Beware, Narkasura may bring out the resident evil within...

Seriously, I have never been a great fan of politics and politicians and consciously endeavour to keep myself beyond the umbra of their influence! Possibly because more often than not they promise the shining stars and shimmering moon, but deliver sheer emptiness, at least to the middle class.

Anyway, in between their mundane madness, obnoxious rhetoric and illiterate logic, a rare statement does surface now and again.

In that vein, many like me were surprised by the statement made the PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who seemed adamant on taking on the ever-growing might of the Narkasura, when he proclaimed that Narkasura-making competitions should be banned and parents must keep their children away from such competitions.

I mean, it is not so easy to take on something that has hyped hysteria and greater mass support, whose influence has soared over the years, and coming from a seasoned politician would signify that he must have done his homework arduously, for no other politician has had the guts to say something as blatant as Dhavalikar has voiced.

Please don’t get me wrong, I know we draw conclusions faster than a Colt from a cowboy’s hip. But if we do let the initial euphoria of our uncontrolled emotions fade, there seems a lot of sense in what he is talking. Obviously the statement may have set a thousand tongues wagging ceaselessly, and perhaps the dharm rakshaks would even have come out on the streets if it were any other Ram, Rahim or Robert.

But, I am curious; by glorifying the abominable demon Narkasura, are we trying to glorify the resident evil within? 

Obviously no, you’ll retort! Then why, for goodness sake, do we have such a festive atmosphere for the loathsome asura - decorate his evil grandeur, illuminate the streets, put on the neon, pump up the deafening EDM, invite the entertainment-starved to admire and dance around his evil stature, besides initially spending sleepless nights and undue concentration in his service!

Again, though the young artists have been spectacularly innovative in concept and design, I have yet to see Krishna (who essentially killed Narkasura) towering over the effigy of Narkasura or other mythological ideas during this event. Ever wonder why the victor is shut out and the vanquished ‘celebrated’!?

In fact, Dhavalikar seemed right while making a fervent plea to diminish this Goa-centric occurrence and worship Krishna, instead of going gaga over the demon. 

Just as the booming firecrackers have unabashedly invaded our ‘tradition’ and seem here to stay, even though the streets of Ayodhya silently welcomed back their prince with innumerable diyas, (no Sivakasi nor Chinese-made crackers existed then).

Of course, we are aware that faith and religion transcends beyond the realms of reason and logic, thus to argue would only mean sowing futile seeds in unfertile minds.

Now, I’m sure even the staunchest supporters would agree that such events are not without their foul fallouts; many seem stoically aware but prefer to look the other way at the nerve-wrecking noise pollution, unhealthy environmental degradation, festival-related filth, gut-wrenching traffic chaos, reckless driving, unnecessary drinking (even drugs), pall of frustration of uninterested neighbours and what have you! Not to mention the smoke-filled sky in the night and litter-filled streets in the morning.

Ironically, even though ours is a ‘free country’ there is no third option of ‘none of the above,’ as in voting, for those who do not want to be involuntary participants, be it azan or asura celebrations.

In a country of teeming millions, where festivals seldom cease, even one person lighting a firecracker would mean a billion crackers, enough to smog the biggest cities and give residents an endless list of respiratory diseases.

Onlookers swear by their xit coddi when they claim that effigies are growing taller by the year, as some even attained the height of four storey building this year. Some of the elders that I spoke to, narrate how the atrocious demon seems to have risen out of nowhere and claim this ‘tradition’ did not exist during the Portuguese era.

Of course, many would be surprised to know that the spirit of Narkasura only rises in Goa and over the years, steadfast commercialisation and persistent political patronage have ensured that the evil monster literally comes to life a day prior to Goan Diwali.

I remember the years we made our own Narkasuras, with friends in Vasco and how the fun, frolicking also added another demeanor to our personalities.

If you look from guarded perceptions and social behavioural patterns such an activity is good, as it brings out one’s creativity and talent.  However, on the flipside, it could also induce bad habits, depending on the company, and end up drinking (and even doing drugs) on the pretext of creative initiatives. From personal experiences, I can tell that I had a hard time convincing my friends to avoid taking advantage of the freedom to drink and smoke.

Apparently, just as south Goa is famous for its artistic, innovative and mushrooming cribs during Christmas, the northern region, especially Panjim is brought to a grinding halt on the ‘night of the demon.’

Perhaps, somewhere down the line, mired in our search for ceaseless enthusiasm and avenue for consistent entertainment, we seem to have lost the true essence of the occasion and appear to glorify evil, albeit is a covert way.

Remember, we are known by the company we keep! And by associating with the demon and raising it with love and admiration from sticks and straw, inadvertently we may end up waking the inherent evil within us!

(Dinesh Patel is an author (11 books), Assistant Professor and Assistant Editor)