The pre-Diwali celebration at Lady Shri Ram College received hateful response online by right-wing trolls who criticised the carnival with shameful slurs for using “Urdu terms” to “celebrate a Hindu festival”. The college administration was online for cherishing Diwali with the “Noor 2024” banner.
“What is Noor? Stupid officials of @LSRDU should be thrashed publicly for disrespecting Hinduism and appropriating Deepawali,” a social media user wrote on ‘X’.
“All nationalist student organisations must protest against this Islamisation of our festivals!” another netizen responded.
The trolls and Godi media reported that “Noor 2024” is a “sickular” (secular, written in hate) “Islamification” of a Hindu festival and LSR is destroying the alleged “Hindutva culture” with secular ethos.
“Such a pathetic management of Lady Shri Ram…. It Looks like a Pakistan sponsored event” another one wrote in the comment section that was already filled with communal slurs and hateful terms.
Responding to the positive celebrations, the online Hindutva army also “used” the recent hate incident at Jamia Millia Islamia where “outsiders” belonging to different right-wing organisations reached the institution to shout “Jai Shree Ram” in order to demean, insult and degrade a revered institution, just because it’s governed by egalitarian Muslims. They tried to instigate communalism in the cover-up of Diwali celebrations.
Amita Sachdeva, an advocate at Delhi High Court who is also connected to the “Bharat Hindu Rashtra Adhiweshan” as declared by her ‘X’ profile, wrote a letter to the LSR administration to remove Urdu words, which she found offensive for no reason.
“Your failure to mention Diwali in this post has raised questions about whether the fest is truly celebrating Diwali or some other non-Hindu festival.”, she wrote to the principal, vice principal and the Administrative officers.
Noor: Light Against Hate
“Noor 2024: Nazm-E-Bahar, An Ode To The Light Within,” said the poster tagline.
LSR found Urdu beautiful enough which is also one of the protected 22 languages under the 8th schedule. Opposing an Indian language is also like opposing constitutional values.
“Noor” means “Roshni” or “Jyoti” in Hindi which perfectly resembles the cultural gestures of the festival.
Previous year, at LSR Diwali was celebrated as “Jashan-e-Aabha”.
Hate Against Urdu Zaban And Diwali
Such hate towards Urdu words is not new.
Similarly, in November 2023 the “Jashan-E-Diwali” poster at Phoenix Mall, Kurla was removed while being viciously slammed by the Hindtuva raft. After fierce disapproval from MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) leader Mahendra Bhanushali, the mall was compelled to wipe out the poster.
Mahendra Bhanushali said that “Jashan” is an “incorporated Urdu word” to celebrate a Hindu festival which should be opposed.
By the same token, one of Fabindia’s festive collection promo, “Jashan-e-Riwaaz” (should be Rivaaj) was taken off after blistering criticisms online, however, the company justified that it was not a Diwali collection launch. Amid communal calls to boycott FabIndia, the fashion brand was forced to delete the post between threats and assaults.
When Islamophobia as well as particular hate towards Muslims and Urdu Zaban which also includes attacks on Madarsa boards is brewing everywhere, some Hindus still foster positive, happy and pious celebrations without any communalism and these Urdu terms were picture perfect demonstration of such ethos.
Urdu: Born, Developed And Bloomed In India
Urdu is an Indian language and not an “outsider” as often opposed online. It’s born and bloomed in India and flourished across religions and regions. Before the slogans of “Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan”, before the “jingoist attempts” to establish linguistic fascism over other beautiful regional languages and before the “systematic plans to devastate Urdu Zaban”, Urdu was never perceived with communal perspectives.
There were Ghalib, Daagh, Fani, Hali, Manto, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Ismat Chughtai, Quratunain Haider, many great Urdu authors and poets who enriched the flamboyant legacy of Urdu, but also people like Firaq Gorakhpuri, Krishna Chandr, and Mah Laqa Bai who contributed to the linguistic growth of Urdu which the BJP-RSS and the entire Hindutva network across parties, hidden or open, cannot digest. Therefore they weave hate narratives to assassinate Urdu and its blissful aura.
Amid the “hate storms” against the “Noor” of hope which is increasing fast to turn India into a “Hindu Rashtra”, the heirlooms of Nazeer Akbarabadi have become enormously important as the Shayar of people sketched out the pictures of a composed festivity. This festivity does not intend to damage a community or a language but rather focuses on co-existence and collective sagacity.
Nazeer Akbarabadi alias Syed Wali Mohammad wrote-
“Hai Dussehere mein bhi yoon farhat-o-zeenat “Nazeer”
Par Diwali bhi ajab pakeeza-tar tyohar hai”
(There are tons of grandeur and glory in Dussehra, O Nazeer!
But Diwali is also a festival of pious tranquillity.)
