They say that except in the English language, it’s known as God’s Friday or Holy Friday. It’s Good because only good came out of the fact that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday.
In an Indian language it’s called Dukh/ Dukha and that at least prevents people from wishing you a Happy Good Friday. One has heard of people gingerly asking “which is the day you should wish — is it Good Friday or Easter?” Not that it matters to them.
We are all proud of the fact we are secular and respect and enjoy each other’s festivals. True at Christmas who would not like to eat Christmas Cake and oh who exactly was born on Christmas?
Everyone but everyone enjoys Holi (chance to get even with people who irritated you whole year?) and crackers at Diwali and the delicious food at any Muslim festival leaves us groaning for more. Apart from the enjoyment, we neither know nor care for what anyone is celebrating, or why? None of us, let alone any domestic help, know what is the meaning behind a festival. Chances are the help will simply say it’s an Eid or Festival and they need a day off. And yet we are so proud of our secular state.
But then that’s exactly what we should be proud of: let each man believe what he wants/ pray to whom he wants. So then who is talking about conversions? Conversions to what? To what was before?
Is it really possible to go back in time? What if as a believer in previous births one believed one was a prince or princess; is it possible to go back?
Every action has a reaction. For too many years the majority of this country’s population saw so many different faiths being practiced and it was a case of the prophet not being recognized in his own country. The quote goes and its actually from the Bible : "A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home." Meaning he is respected elsewhere!
So the majority of the denizens of this country came to think that it was the minorities that were given the bhav and it was high time that they themselves repositioned themselves. What else could explain that 2 per cent of the population known at best for being meek and at worst as fence sitters are being targeted and being forced to convert “back” or easiest way of all just being burnt alive like the two little Staines boys in Orissa. And can there be anything more irritating than the fact that their own mother is forgiving the culprits?
So for the 98 per cent of this country Good Friday is the beginning of a great long weekend and isn’t it amazing that Good Friday is respected as a National Holiday in a country whose 98 per cent population has not much idea as to what Good Friday is all about.
