Divali, the celebration of light over darkness and good over evil, continued in Princes Town with several celebrants noting its representation of joy, hope, victory and security.
Second Secretary at the Indian High Commission, Sagar Maitra, reflected on the roots of the celebration of light over darkness and good over evil. He stated that it represents joy, hope, victory and security.
“If we just go back to our prehistorical times where humans first invented light, the fire, they thought that yes we can also have a light during night they could shoo away the wild animals. For the first time it felt safe. So light is the most important thing, most important aspect of life not only physically but psychologically.”
He added that Divali is also a time to give thanks.
“In Divali we celebrate this joy, we celebrate this joy why in Diwali because, not only of this story, of this narration, but for another thing. That this is also the harvest time in the world. October always represents the harvest time when after hard toil, all the agricultural societies harvested their produce.”
Member of Parliament for Princes Town, Dr. Aiyna Ali, noted that Divali is also a celebration of Trinidad and Tobago’s diversity.
“Divali teaches us that in every dark night, there is a promise of a new dawn. My friends, let that dawn bring peace, progress, and prosperity for all. In our beautiful twin republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Divali is more than just a religious observance. Rather it is really a national celebration of unity in diversity.”