Solemnity of Eid has always struck me: Ananya S Guha
ANANYA S GUHA
As I started a career in my life my teacher Professor Hasan would call me over to his house and once again I could see people greeting each other as tea and refreshments were served. His colleagues from different communities and religious backgrounds would arrive. The spirit of secularism in India is a constant touch in my life.
As years passed by and as I comprehended how every Indian had the right to have his or her own choice to worship Eid has always remained as a resonant symbol of both India’s unity and diversity. As I said its solemnity, its prayerfulness and above all its warm touch of humanity has struck a singular chord in my mind. In a small town such as Shillong, where there are not as many as Muslims as elsewhere in the country, the spirit of Eid, its emphasis on Islamic egalitarianism has resounded always in my life:
the crescent moon
glistens
overhead you are
there, benefactor
O Holy one.
We bow to thee
we bow to thee.
May the holy grace of Eid on this propitious day touch each and everyone in this country, this land of both diversity and a captivating unity.