Holi Celebration In UAE
The Madheshi Samaj in UAE organized Holi, a festival of Colors in Al Ain, UAE, featuring ethnic Madheshi music, food and color. This was the first ever formal social gathering of Madhehis in UAE which drew about 250 Madheshis. “It is enthusing to observe the vibrant Madheshi diaspora coming together and I’ve never seen such gathering during my whole tenure in UAE” emphasized his Excellency Mr. Dhananjaya Jha, our ambassador to UAE. He further emphasized to celebrate the ethnic diversity of Nepal and pride the identity. The event was attended by dignitaries from Nepal embassy like Labor attaché Ms. Hira Yadav, and National Coordination Committee (NCC) general secretary Mr. Dipak Khadka, Mr. Ram Bhawan from Tharu Samaj, Nauman Siddiqe spokesperson of Muslim Samaj of Nepal in UAE and Mr. Basant K. Kushwaha, vice president of Non-Residential Madheshi Association.
Holi is a common Hindu festival of joy and color, moreover regaining a global stature. It should be noted, Pakistan, an Islamic Republic, formally declared national leave on Holi in Pakistan. The spirit of celebrating multi-culturalism and a step towards religious minority in Pakistan should be welcomed unequivocally. And, it would be appreciated if the many more nations followed the same trend of accommodating Holi as a unifying festival.
Coordinator of the event, Dr. Rabindra Kr. Yadav said, “Holi is a global festival of peace, joy and color and we all should celebrate it to bring brotherhood and friendship amongst ourselves. Also, this event is focused in raising funds for fire victims of Sihara and victims of Madhseh Andolan.”
The proprietor of the event sponsor, Annapurna Travels and Tours LLC. Mr. Rakesh Jaiswal further added, “We’ve organized this event in solidarity with Madheshi society in UAE and it was a huge success. My travel agency is happy to help in organizing cultural event.”
One festival goer told Madheshiyouth, “It is very important festival in Madhesh, in my entire 10 years in UAE, this is the first time I celebrate Holi with my Madheshi brother and sisters. I feel proud to be a part of the Madheshi community and even though we are away from our families, this is a chance to celebrate the festival, so I am very glad.”
Actress Dolly Sarkar, who has performed in various Maithali/Bhojpur movies, performed on various Maithali, Bhojpuri and Hindi songs and made the audience dance with her. Meanwhile, the melodious voice of Devendra Soni also added charm to the celebration. Mr. Soni remarked, “I’m very pleased to come to UAE and be the first Madheshi singer to sing for our brothers and sisters. This is one of happiest moments of my life.” Ms. Sarkar said, “..these cultural events give artists like us to connect with the larger audience base which lives outside Nepal.”
These cultural festivals help bring people together and better organize themselves and empower themselves. Such events needs to organize more often. The success of this event lays a foundation stone for unity among Madheshis in UAE and the organizers concluded the event with a note that this is just a beginning and more such cultural events will be organized.
