Of course, it is festive and we all are just immersed in the festive mood. Look at anyone around you and the glow of celebratory mood is on everyone’s face. The place around us is in the festive spirit and the excitement of Diwali is visible on each and every entity that we are encountering on the daily basis. Is it not? The streets are full of beautiful accessories and decorative stuff that we use in Deepawali. Be it different kind of Diyas, those lighted kandeels, colourfull candles, torans, lights and what not. We are sure that like every past year, you must have been planning that this year’s Deepawali would be greatest of all times. I am sure this is what that is going inside your head from several days.
Today, I am not going to give you any labored lecture about how to celebrate Deepawali, why to stay away from crackers, those ‘go green’ talks etc. In fact, here I am going to make you realize something which is already staying at the back of your head but for some reason have been avoided. Maybe it is the festive mood that is eclipsing our moral concern. Do not be so shocked after reading the aforementioned line. Have not you broke hearts of the street vendors by bargaining and not buying things from them in your bygone days? Those frail faces and weak hands which worked day and night and created the creative stuff by toiling hard in the night is something they do for a living. Off course, we never say a word to those wealthy merchants who are either our daddy’s businessman when it comes to bargain. But we always oppress the poor. Yes, we do and there are no doubts about it!
The handicrafts that these people are selling are something whose value is higher than our budget. Just because they do not have those big showrooms labeled as ‘Top Indian Handicrafts’, we are underestimating them and also their creativity. Why bargain with the old lady who sits in the sun with her little kids trying to make a living? Please buy what small vendors are selling without any bargain because they do not know the real value of their art. What you are getting is ample for what you are paying when it comes to Deepawali decor items by street vendors. There are many places where the merchandising of these products have already been started. Celebrate this year’s Deepawali without doing something which you should not do and that is bargaining with the innocent small vendors. Be it those ‘mitti ke khilaune’ or the ‘gharaunde’ buy it. Celebrate this year’s Deepawali with grace and bestow a smile on faces of those who are not as fortunate as you are. Happy Deepawali!
