Numerous articles written on Phagwa / Holi focus mainly on the Vedic rationale of Phagwa: Truth over unrighteousness. While it’s the “Festival of Colors,” Phagwa has its origins rooted in a deep economic and ethical work behavior on the Indian race. Phagwa’s economic and ethics are deeply entrenched in the Indian Hindu psyche. The coming of Spring defined by the splashing of colours on Phagwa is not just a time for fun but a message to Indians “it’s time to prepare the land for a new harvest to feed the Nations,” possibly stemming out of an ancient Vedic agrarian society spiritually connected to the earth, nature and the land.
As I recall, my Agi [ grandmother ] and parents will tell us not to blight the house by letting the sun catch you on bed. While this might seem like a folk nuance the saying gives particular insight into Indian work ethics handed to the Indian Race from our Vedic ancestral culture making Indians an economic asset to their respective countries. While this may have originally applied to an agrarian definition in modern context it continues to reverberate with the Indian race in their economic mindset and positive work ethic.
In Trinidad, sadly, Indians politically do not control the government and therefore the Indian Race is losing its work ethics. As long as Indians do not have control over their own destiny the Indian Race will cease to be an industrious race. Presently, many political ‘weapons’ are used to destroy Indians as a progressive race by using institutional racisms by the Afro-founding, Afro-centric PNM – government by denying Indian students who deserve scholarships based on their exam results.
By denying Indian students deserving academic scholarships is a very diplomatic way of killing off generations of Indian scholars. Our agrarian Phagwa ability is reduced to simply song, dance and colours
Ignoring the cultivation of the land mind that gave FOOD before the coming OIL. Indians need to get their hands on POLITICAL POWER or their Race is doomed in all aspects. The sprinkling of colors on each other symbolize our unity as a race.
Let’s defeat Adharma (ignorance).
Shubh Phagwa.
Vassan Ramracha.