Diverging From Diwali — A Perspective Shared with Mid-Day— Deepa Pawar
- Deepa Pawar
- Dec 27, 2025
- 2 min read
When I speak about festivals, I am not offering a reaction to an article or a trend. I am sharing a perspective that comes from lived experience — one that Mid-Day recently included while exploring how different communities relate to Diwali and celebration.
For many nomadic, denotified, and indigenous communities, festivals are not spectacles.
They are moments of balance — between people, nature, and survival.
That is the context in which I shared my thoughts.
Celebration, As It Exists in Our Communities
In the communities I come from and work with, festivals are not measured by spending or display. They are shaped by togetherness and restraint.
Celebration happens through:
collective cooking and sharing
seasonal food and local produce
gratitude toward land, forests, and water
There is joy, but there is also responsibility.There is light, but there is also awareness.
Why This Perspective Matters Today
Mainstream celebrations increasingly revolve around consumption and visibility. In contrast, many tribal and nomadic festivals remain aligned with agricultural cycles and ecological rhythms.
When I speak about this — as I did in my interaction with Mid-Day — it is not to suggest one way is superior. It is to remind us that sustainability has long been practised by communities who had no choice but to live within limits.
Festivals as Collective Memory
For marginalised communities, festivals carry memory.
They hold:
stories of survival
lessons of sharing
values of coexistence
When celebrations lose these connections, they risk becoming empty rituals. Bringing these quieter traditions into public conversations, as Mid-Day has done, helps restore context and meaning.
What I Hope This Conversation Opens Up
I am not arguing against Diwali or any celebration.I am inviting reflection.
What if festivals became moments to:
reconnect rather than consume
include rather than exclude
honour limits rather than excess
These are not new ideas. They are lived realities for many communities across India.
Why I Continue to Speak About This
I speak as someone whose community’s traditions are often overlooked or misunderstood.
These traditions are not marginal. They are rooted in sustainability, dignity, and shared joy.
If we want to rethink how we celebrate in a world facing environmental and social strain, listening to these perspectives is not optional — it is necessary.
Context
This piece reflects perspectives shared during a conversation with Mid-Day, which featured voices from indigenous and marginalised communities while examining how celebrations like Diwali are experienced differently across India.
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