Reva Warudi, 14, is a lone warrior in her building at Borivali (East). Right from the time she was 10, in 2013, she has been celebrating a dry Holi, even when her friends have mocked her, or not been too enthusiastic about the idea. What began in her mind as a gesture to ease farmers’ suffering is now a way of life.
At that time, the drought in Maharashtra and farmer suicides were making headlines. “I thought it was unfair that they had to go without water, just because I had to have fun on one day.” Her grandparents had been telling her how, in their childhood, they played Holi only with colours. That was the turning point for her, and she decided to play a water-free Holi.
Her parents were supportive, but said she could use a little water. But little Reva stuck to her decision. With her mother’s help, she put up a poster in the society lobby, asking others to join in. The poster had cut-outs of celebrities who had decided to play a dry Holi. “We wanted to show everyone that if they could do without water, so could we.”
Soon enough, Reva got her first lesson in the ways of the world. Nobody seemed too eager to join her; some of her friends even laughed at her. It just didn’t make sense to them. What is the point in playing Holi if you don’t use water, they said. “They thought I’d stop after a while. Even parents were asking why they should give up playing with water.”
More than affecting Reva, it broke her mother Archana’s heart. “She was just 10 and couldn’t understand why people were reacting the way they did. I had to explain to her that people are different, and that’s the way it is. It was a hard time. When your kids are going through all this, you want to protect them.”
Archana put up a Facebook post saying the child was not getting any support for her cause. A friend saw it and created a fan club for Reva on the networking site. Soon, supportive messages started flowing in. “It’s wonderful to know that you stuck to what was right even when others did not support you. I hope you will always be so brave,” said one. “Making the right choice is always difficult … but believe in yourself and others will follow. Be the leader,” said another.
The messages encouraged Reva. Reva played Holi with the same bunch of friends, but steadfastly refused to use water. It seemed awkward at first — the others were getting drenched in the rain dance, running around with water bombs and guns, and here she was, slapping colour on people’s backs. But she just kept going, for three years in a row. “I was amazed that she still went ahead. I was very humbled,” says her mother.
This year, too, she will play a water-free Holi. Her friends have started using more colour, but not everyone is convinced. Using water is tradition, they say, and she counters that by saying that lighting the Holi pyre one day earlier is actually the tradition. “Initially, you feel sad when you see everyone else using so much water. Eventually, you get used to it,” she says, with a wisdom far beyond her years. “It may not be as good as playing with water, but I still enjoy myself. More, since I don’t feel guilty that I am wasting water. Even unconsciously, I back down; at least I’m not squirting water randomly.”
The best part about doing this, she says, is that she is contributing to making a difference. “Somewhere, a farmer is not dying; he is getting a little more water and a livelihood. And for all you know, someone is happy because of me, even if I’m saving a few drops. I love the thought.”
