PPP
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) extends Phagwah greetings to all Hindus on the occasion of Phagwah which is celebrated on March 7.
Phagwah is a festival which depicts the triumph of good over evil. This is a universal message which resonates with mankind throughout the world.
Right here in our own country there are today dark forces hovering over us which are trying desperately to take our beloved country back to an evil past when the democratic rights and freedoms of the Guyanese were taken away from them.
As the great Mahatma Ghandi reminded us, non-cooperation with evil is a sacred duty. It is therefore incumbent on all Guyanese to rally around the concepts of peace, progress and prosperity and by so doing prevent evil forces from enveloping our land.
As we prepare for another general and regional elections, the PPP calls on all Guyanese to exercise their right to vote and to vote wisely so that progress and prosperity will continue to prevail.
Once again, a happy Phagwah to all Guyanese in particular our Hindu brothers and sisters.
PNC
The People’s National Congress Reform extends sincere Holi greetings to the Hindu Community of Guyana in particular, and Guyanese in general, on the occasion of the celebration of the Festival of Phagwah in Guyana.
The significance of Phagwah is two-fold. Its secular significance lies in the advent of the season of spring, and its real and allegorical implications of fertility rebirth, renewal and regeneration. The religious significance of Holi lies in the conquest of good over evil, manifested by the destruction by Prahalada of his demonic father, King Hiranyakashipu.
As the celebrated Indian national, KulapatiVani wrote many years ago, “… festivals are gatherings for refreshing the spirit and enjoying life,” we urge all Guyanese to use this occasion to refresh their spirit and enjoy life and to participate fully in this colorful festival and enjoy the rich elements of our religious and cultural diversity.
We are conscious, also that our spirits are becoming increasingly sullen and sour, in the brooding darkness that now engulfs our land. Violent crime, runaway cost of living, pervasive joblessness, creeping despotism, nay real despotism, societal disintegration and deepening poverty, stalk our land; partisanship, discrimination and executive lawlessness compound bad and vindictive governance; our economy and society are in tatters.
It is time for change, and on May 11th Guyanese have a chance to vote for change.
We urge all Guyanese to see some spiritual inspiration in this Festival and to brace themselves against the many evils that are in our midst, and resolve, at this juncture, to take steps to end these calamities that now bedevil our country, and to restore equity, justice, peace and prosperity to our dear Motherland. Again Happy Holi to all Guyanese!
PYO
The Progressive Youth Organization of Guyana (PYO) extends best wishes to all Guyanese as they celebrate Phagwah 2015 or Holi.
We believe that there are many lessons to be learnt from the celebration of this national and religious festival, which strengthen our country’s multi-cultural resolve.
The PYO believes that the most fundamental lesson that could be learnt however stems from the triumph of Lord Vishnu over the demon king Hiranyakashipu who had repeatedly schemed to kill his own innocent son Prahalad who demonstrated a commitment to goodness, humility and the ideals of his faith.
This means that Holi is truly proletarian and covers the spirit that Good ultimately triumphs over Evil
As Guyanese celebrate the change of the season into Spring, the PYO urges youth to adorn each other with love, respect and abeer until those things that separate them become invisible and overshadowed by the common causes that unite them.
We urge youth to also celebrate the gains made in their personal and socio-economic lives that have paved the way for a brighter future in this great land of ours.
As we celebrate this colourful festival, the PYO also calls on Youth, to reject all forces that seek to divide them in the pursuant of their own selfish anti-development and anti-nationalistic agendas.
Guyana Trades Union Congress
The Guyana Trades Union Congress extends Phagwah Greetings to all Guyanese, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters. As Guyanese celebrate this holy event we are reminded its significance lies in success over wrong doings. As the Hindu community uses this season to celebrate such triumph, all Guyanese in joining in this event are urged to remember triumph comes through hard work.
The Hindu festival of Phagwah has been made a national event where all Guyanese, regardless of race and religion, can celebrate the beginning of a period (spring) which characterises new growth, development and new beginnings. It is a period where life proliferates and evil destroyed. The commemoration of the festival of Phagwah with water, bright colours and the burning of the holika is an event that all Guyanese have grown to look forward to.
We must reflect even as we celebrate that making this a national event is a positive and progressive step in a multi-ethnic society such as ours. For it develops in each of us not only a sense of ancestral, ethnic or religious identity, but a sense of tolerance and an ability to share with each other and appreciate diversity. That this is evident today when we see wide spread participation of all groups is testimony to the earlier integration policies by the Government of the time in an effort to foster One People, One Nation, One Destiny as our motto signifies.
All Guyanese should reflect from the lessons of Phagwah, put aside differences and work towards progress and development. There is no time more fruitful than the upcoming period of General and Regional Elections where we, the people, hold the future in our hands when we make an “X.” The key to success and a brighter future lies in our hands. Let us usher in a period of growth and abundance, of new beginnings, of prosperity, of development, of brightness, a mixing of colours and purification with water.
Let us use this period to battle all evil in our midst.
Blue CAPS
As we join in celebration of Holi, the festival of colours and love. The Board of Directors and members of Blue C.A.P.S. extend Phagwah greetings to all Guyanese, especially to our Hindu brothers and sisters.
During this spring festival, let this festivity of Holi bring vibrant colors of happiness into your lives as these colors mix in harmony. Holi symbolizes the triumph of the good and righteous over evil with the burning of the wicked Holika.
The story of Prince Prahalad should be a source of strength for us all, especially his ability to confront challenges. This is a festival which brings together Guyanese from all walks of life for a joyous and colorful celebration. As the celebrated Indian national, KulapatiVani wrote many years ago, “… festivals are gatherings for refreshing the spirit and enjoying life.”
May you use this occasion to refresh your spirit and enjoy life and also the rich elements of our religious and cultural diversity. It is indeed a time for the sharing of joy, friendship and understanding.
This year, as we celebrate Phagwah by colouring each other in diverse colours, let us also celebrate the diversity of Guyana’s rich heritage and culture.
Hindu SwayamsevakSangh
With the air filled with colours, the homes of many filled with the aroma of sweetmeats and everyone dripping wet with abrak, Hindus will be celebrating the festival of colours as they usher in the season of spring –the beginning of the Hindu New Year, on Friday.
Holi, which was originally known as Holika (but commonly known as Phagwah in Guyana) is an ancient festival of India. It is a time to rejuvenate. The significance of the festival of Holi has crossed many pages in history to arrive here, as a time to celebrate renewal. Every festival has its own traditions in the backdrop, but what really matters is the spirit of festivity.
Colours speak louder than words at times. Holi goes beyond the custom of smearing colours on each other. It crosses the realm of traditional customs to reach new dimensions of the renewal and spirit. It is a time to create new bonds, reach out to others and forget the past worries. Hence, the common meaning “good over evil” that is taught to children in schools.
Every year, this land of six races embrace the occasion with growing enthusiasm that bridges over their historical memories. Besides exchanging sweets, colours and well-wishes, there is something more to it; it is the spirit of unity, friendship and a will to forget the past and let the present take over our lives.
Holi is one of the major Hindu festivals in Guyana which is the most vibrant of all. The joys of Holi know no bound. The festival is celebrated across Guyana.
IAC
The Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) extends Phagwah (Holi) greetings to all the citizens
of Guyana, especially those who are guided by the philosophical teachings of Sanatan
Dharma.
Phagwah or Holi is a festival of Bharat (India) that has its roots in antiquity and
celebrates the coming of a new spring season, the dawning of a new year and the
triumph of good over evil. The exuberance of this festival reflects the collective hope of
people for progress, prosperity and the concomitant betterment of their lives.
This festival of renewal most likely pre-dated the Sarasvati Valley Civilisation, the
world’s first significant civilization which flourished between 5000 BCE and 2600 BCE.
Even though the cultural landscape in Bharat had changed from time to time from the
introduction of the Negroids followed by the Proto-Australoids , Dravidians, Mongoloids,
Caucasians, Persians, Greeks, Shakas, Kushanas, Huns, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mughals
and Europeans, the festival of Holi emerged, survived and flourished in Bharat, the world’s
first melting pot.
Holi was brought to British Guiana by Hindus who arrived here as indentured labourers
to work on sugar plantations 177 years ago and was sustained by the majority of approximately 239,000 Bharatiyas who arrived on these shores between 1838 and 1917.
Phagwah was transplanted from a large sub-continent, characterized by the four seasons of
spring, summer, autumn and winter, to Guyana, a small South American land of dry and rainy
seasons and even though global warming is creating climatic havoc, the symbolism of Holi
must not be lost.
IAC, therefore, calls upon all the citizens of this multi-cultural land of Guyana to regard
the great festival of Phagwah or Holi, which celebrates life and hope regardless of demography or geography, always as a focus for national unity.
