Sometime back Bhutan’s Prime Minister introduced the concept of Gross National Happiness as against its Gross National Product to be the answer to the global economic mess, which even US is trying to work upon. So let’s see what’s that we might have done this diwali which is keeping us away from a booming GNH. And a happy country is a booming country economically too.
We are sure that these below are nothing new for the past couple of years, but maybe the trend is growing before it’ll die a natural death.
1. Facebook Diwali: posting dressed up pics of your house or your party or family is all nice to see, rather that spreads the message of diwali. But wishing the whole fb world ‘ wishing everyone a happy and prosperous diwali’ is kinda lame. I mean in times when people have minimum 200 friends and maximum can be anything beyond 3000, wishing them all on facebook is sooo cold and unconnected. I mean you’re reaching out to just nobody. Who is this message for? Even a Fb happy birthday is more personal than this. I would never regard such a general comment to be a wish for me. I wonder why people even waste their time writing it. Call/sms/whatsapp/bbm… and even better..just go visit your friend/family. Find the difference for yourself.
2. BBM broadcast: Come on guys, atleast on diwali find the time to send each person a diwali greeting instead of just broadcasting it like a neta’s bhashan. Add your personal touch by addressing the message by the receiver’s name or some detail typical to the receiver. Trust me, it’ll be remembered much longer. Bbming diwali greetings just for the sake of it, get trashed in the same spirit.
3. Email Diwali: Maybe for offices & colleagues its ok, but your friends and family…are you sure they are your friends and family who you are wishing diwali on email! Even relatives sitting abroad, what better reason to call them than diwali. Send them a diwali card or present instead.
4. Giving your diwali gift right there at the same time when the friend comes to visit you or sends his gift: No matter the traffic and hassle, your friend made the effort to get the gift or get it sent, maybe you should also make a little effort and not hand him his gift there and then.
5. I’m sure you all must’ve come across a few more, so please share with us here.
Written as a social opinion by one of our readers.
ED’s viewpoint: Though we write about economy and related topics, and not much on social, we felt this article does go a long way in connecting our over dependency on technology for festivals to its impact on the festival-time-business & economy.
