Holi, the festival of colours, is meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, but every year, without fail, it also becomes an excuse for some people to behave badly and get away with it under the ever-convenient phrase, "Bura na mano, Holi hai!"
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As if throwing colours on someone who clearly doesn’t want to participate, grabbing strangers in the name of festivity, or even colouring helpless animals is all part of some grand tradition that no one should question. Dare anyone complain, and suddenly, they become the enemy of culture, the party pooper, the person who apparently doesn’t understand the real spirit of Holi.
The problem is, Holi isn’t a free pass for inappropriate behaviour, and no festival, no matter how joyous, should come at the cost of someone else’s comfort, dignity, or safety. Different communities celebrate Holi in different ways, some with dry colours, some with flowers, some simply by gathering with friends and family, but nowhere in any tradition does it say that forcing colours on unwilling people or animals is a part of the celebration.
Yet every year, reports flood in from across the country about women being harassed under the pretext of playing Holi, their protests drowned under the excuse that "it's all in good fun." Travel vloggers visiting India during Holi often document how unsettling it is when complete strangers smear colours on them, sometimes aggressively, completely disregarding personal boundaries, as if being in a public space during Holi automatically makes them fair game.
And if women face this level of discomfort, imagine the plight of animals who have no way to protest. Stray dogs and cows are often smeared with colours that are toxic to their skin and health, all because someone thought it would be fun to include them in the festival.
Unlike humans, animals can’t wash off the colours or express discomfort, and yet every year, we see pictures of dogs covered in bright pink and blue powders, their eyes irritated, their fur caked in chemicals, just so some people could get their Holi photo-op.
What’s worse is that when these issues are raised, instead of addressing them, many are quick to turn the debate into a communal or cultural battle, as if asking for consent and respect suddenly means attacking the festival itself.
The truth is, enjoying Holi and respecting others are not mutually exclusive. You can have all the fun in the world, play with colors, dance to your heart’s content, gorge on sweets, and still celebrate in a way that doesn’t make others uncomfortable.
The simple fact is, if someone doesn’t want to be coloured, let them be. If someone is walking on the street, minding their own business, don’t assume they’re part of your celebration just because they exist. If a dog or a cow is peacefully going about its day, there is absolutely no need to drag them into human festivities. And before you defend any of these actions with "But it’s tradition!", ask yourself—who decided that the tradition of Holi includes making others uncomfortable? Because it certainly wasn’t the festival itself.
Holi should be about joy, not discomfort, about celebration, not force, about bringing people together, not making them feel unsafe. It’s not that difficult—play Holi, have fun, but don’t assume everyone around you is part of the game unless they willingly join in. Because consent isn’t just for big things, it’s for everything, and if someone says no to being coloured, the right response isn’t "Bura na mano, Holi hai." The right response is to respect their choice and move on, because Holi, or any festival for that matter, should never be about forcing your idea of fun on someone else.
(The author is the Commissioner of Police, Guwahati and STF Chief, Assam. All views and opinions expressed in the article are the author's own)
