Antithetical to the concepts of shanti and nirvana, the ‘festival’ reinforces accepted theories of the interconnectedness of poverty, unemployment, underemployment, lack of civic virtue and sensibility, and egalitarian action. The Ganpati ‘festival,’ it has been proven, is a time when demand for prostitution flourishes - mainly funded by ‘charitable donations’ - often extorted in lieu of a vertical lineage of ‘guarantees of protection.’ The HIV-AIDS factor in major cities spikes at this time of the year. Just what are we celebrating? A majority of attendees cannot posit the ‘festival’ in historical terms - let alone a summary of the great Lokmanya Tilak.
It has been argued that Hinduism can provide a solid framework against fundamentalism of other ideologies, but at what environmental, ecological, sociological, and economic cost?
Thank you for making the video available. Perhaps people will one day come to understand and avail of the comfort and solace of contemplation - the true canon of Hinduism.
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