Holi is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil. According to Hindu mythology, god Vishnu saved his follower Prahlada from a pyre while his evil aunt Holika burned; and this festival is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Another legend the festival draws on is that of Radha and Krishna. Krishna loved Radha, but he always felt self-conscious about how different their skin colors were; and so one day he playfully painted her face to make it look same color as his. However, the festival of colors is mostly seen as a time for people to get together and enjoy themselves.
Having said that, the festival lately has been turning into something else. It has now become a chance for the perverts to touch others, more particularly women, inappropriately and harass them in the name of this supposed-to-be-‘holy’ festival. And that’s what happened with Corinne Redfern in Kathmandu during this year’s Holi.
The British journalist currently based in Nepal found herself surrounded by a group of strangers on Sunday who were not exactly throwing colorful powder on her but were trying to get close to her and were touching her in the way she didn’t like at all. She later took to Twitter and shared her very experience that she recalls as one of the worst and scariest things to have happened with her. In a series of tweets, she wrote that Holi is more like an excuse for men to grope women and how this incident shocked her as Nepal had so far been the safest country for her.
This is what she wrote.
Holi feels increasingly like an excuse for men to grope women. Feeling disappointed, angry and sad.
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
Been travelling / living on my own in foreign countries for a long time,& today was the first time I felt so threatened that I cried. #Holi
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
Walking down streets and being targeted and then grabbed, repeatedly, and in public, by huge groups of men and boys. #Holi
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
Guy spots me struggling & escorts me home. “This is great,”he says.”I feel so manly.” Good for you. I’ve never felt weaker in my life. #Holi
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
The worst thing about this is how many, many women are getting in touch to say that they never leave the house during Holi because of this.
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
@himabista First time I’ve ever felt unsafe in Nepal.’Til now was by far the most secure I’ve ever felt in any country!Why it’s so shocking.
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
@dddanadine It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never felt scared before, ever. And it’s supposed to be a celebration.
— Corinne Redfern (@CorinneRedfern) March 12, 2017
Holi has always been quite a matter of concern for many people and the cops as well; and that’s why some rules are always released few days before the festival every year to instruct people on how to keep it safe for everyone. Many people might think that these rules are not necessary and they must have the freedom to celebrate the festival as they like but it’s the incidents like these that make us realize why they are important; and also explain why many women choose not to go out of the house on this day. If such incidents are repeated in future as well, we don’t think it’s even necessary to celebrate the festival that turns out to be horror episode for some people.
Not cool, Kathmandu. Not cool at all.
