We need hope, action

WE ARE FINALLY COMING TOGETHER

DELIVERING a powerful address to world leaders gathered for the opening day of the United Nations general assembly’s highlevel debate, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, lamented that: “Our world is in big trouble. Divides are growing deeper; inequalities are growing wider; challenges are spreading further … we need hope … we need action across the board.”

People across the world have lost faith in democratic institutions and the many forms of governance, from cultural to religious bodies.

Closer to home, the Covid -19 pandemic and flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, coupled with the July 2021 insurrection and looting, rampant inequality, corruption, unemployment, poverty, load shedding and a contracting economy, have created an air of disillusion that grips all our people.

Rooted to this period of disillusionment and despair, the belief in the ultimate Hindu goal of seeking liberation teaches us that this cycle of hopelessness will eventually be destroyed. Like the great story of Deepavali, light always prevails over darkness, good always triumphs over evil.

We have experienced two tortuous years since 2020, being kept away from friends and family to celebrate and observe the rituals and festivities associated with Deepavali.

This year will be entirely different as we are finally able to come together as families and communities to celebrate the glorious traditions of Deepavali in a way that celebrates our humanness, simply in the company of family and loved ones.

We do so, knowing how precious the joy of living is to every human being, having lost so many precious souls during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This Deepavali, there are fragile shoots of hope that point in the direction of an end to the despair and hopelessness we have long endured. For this to happen, it demands that we work together.

Working together as a Kootam (family) grounded in goodwill and trust, we must demand better from all our leaders and be prepared to give more of ourselves to ensure we honour the sacrifice of our ancestors and by daring never to fail our future generations.

The message of hope and triumph that is intrinsically embedded in the symbolism of Deepavali must signal our call to action in the hope of arresting the despair and disillusionment that besets the world we live in and for light to triumph over darkness.

Let light and goodwill be our constant reminder of the hope we cherish.

Wishing you and your family a blessed and joyous Deepavali.

Best wishes from The Natal Tamil Vedic Society, the Merebank Tamil School Society, the KwaZulu- Natal Tamil Federation, South African Tamil Federation, the Saiva Sithantha Sungum and the Devasthanam Foundation of South Africa.