By F. M. Britto
Bilaspur, Oct 29, 2019: The Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, along with some officials of the local Dr. C. V. Raman university in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, showed an altruistic way of celebrating the Diwali, the festival of lights.
They visited the homes of the elderly and gave them gifts.
A day before the festival, they visited the homes for the elderly, run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity at Mangla, Bilaspur, and the Homes for the Elderly at Kalyankunj Mangla and the home at Masanganj of civil lines, Bilaspur. After interacting with the inmates, the officials, all Hindus, offered them sweets, earthen lamps and firecrackers.
R. P. Dubey, vice-chancellor of Dr. C. V. Raman University said, “We can celebrate positive Diwali by being a lamp bringing happiness to others and dispelling their darkness of sufferings.”
“Every year we celebrate Diwali by purchasing clothes, sweets and lamps for ourselves,” said Gaurav Shukla, the secretary of the university. “Shall we not celebrate positive Diwali by presenting clothes, sweets, lamps to the poor?” He added, “Even if not for others’ happiness, we shall do it at least for our joy.”
Motivational author Dr. Ujjwal Patni says in the Dainik Bhaskar on Diwali day, “Purchase Diwali items from the poor; and do not bargain with them.”
He says since in happiness our country is ranked 140th among 156 countries, on this Diwali we need to pledge to make at least one or two persons happy every day.
And he adds that since in poverty our country is in the 103rd place among 119 countries, let us pledge on this Festival of Lights that instead of wasting food, let us give that to the poor.