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Diwali drenches joy in disempowerment

Diwali celebrations in New Zealand have reached an extremely pathetic level wherein this festival day is exploited as a disgracefully commercial event.

The process is very simple. Form a group or trust, announce a programme, apply for funding, get the event done and provide ‘accountability statement’ to the funding agency. You are done! You have achieved financial gains for yourself. But by having no empowering agenda, the event has returned thirsty from a potential fountain.

An individual or members of a family or a few friends or a temple committee are good enough to form a group. Register it with ‘Charities Commission’; even get GST registered and you are all set to milk the cow.

Go public

Just announce a day. Don’t bother whether it fits in the sequence of events. Somehow, you are allowed to have Diwali even before Dassera (akin to celebrating Easter before commemorating the crucifixion). All that is important is that it should be a weekend so that masses can throng. Use the radio and other media to pull them in and if you own a media stream, you can even gain more by undertaking the exercise directly and cutting out the middle agency. So, opportunity is beckoning!

Funding process

This is the key factor in the whole series of events. The trick is to get as much as possible from community grants, Council’s events promotion, gambling revenue and even booze money. You can even have another wing owning some bars and pokies to facilitate easy funding within the ‘conglomerate.’

Just ensure that the ‘committee’ allocates funds after a formal meeting with minutes noted. It may even be helpful if you could be directly on the board of a funding agency. You can even form partnerships comprising event organiser, media partner and sponsors to scratch each other.

Easy bait

This part is the easiest. Provide various artistes a stage and you may even bring in a celebrity to attract the masses. Get a stamp of recognition by inviting politicians. Arrange food and other stalls on profit share basis and relax – you have done it!

Accountability statement is just a formality to put together the ‘invoices’ but helps to make a case for a next event

Democratic bodies ignored

In all this exercise, Diwali has become a cash cow and seeing the potential, more and more groups are being formed every year. They hold separate events with the help of funding agencies and ‘sponsors.’

We now have about 20 Diwali festivals every year in Auckland alone. There are questions raised, but where is the problem if all these Diwali events are well attended? Why bother when every organiser is making money? Why not to use the funds that are available? As we are a big population now, how can we be accommodated in one event?

It is behind these cunning justifications that we hide the real issues. The problem is that democratic institutions formed by the community in each city – such as Manukau Indian Association, Auckland Indian Association and other branches of the New Zealand Indian Association are being pushed aside by individually owned trusts.

We pass the delivery of our collective joys to private hands and then helplessly watch the poor outcomes. Is it because the politicians want more and more events to be able to take the multiple stages? Or is it the best way to dilute and weaken the elected representatives of the community?

Ownership transfer

Kiwi Indians deserve empowering events wherein they should be able to touch base with the rich cultural heritage, quality music, dance and drama and enjoy the taste of India. These events should also provide a platform for empowerment and a community exercise wherein the doers should be rewarded.

Bollywood definitely has a place but it should not be the only item. Why do we need to be lectured on a Diwali day by politicians? Why can’t we invite all and just enjoy?

Self-respect and learning to enjoy may be the two most important items on the list of empowerment exercise for Kiwi Indians and all are requested to help.

Veer Khar is the President, Manukau Indian Association, which is organising ‘People’s Diwali’ on Friday, October 10 at Vodafone Events Centre, 770 Great South Road, Manukau City. Further information can be obtained from him on 022-1971916. Email: president@manukauindians.org.nz

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