As thousands of Hindus celebrate Diwali today as a triumph of light over darkness to mark Lord Rama's return from 14 years of exile, Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran says we should reflect why our society is going through a breakdown of moral fabric.
Kiran says 2 out of 3 women and 5 out of 6 children go through extreme violence in the hands of their loved ones, she is asking, are we emulating Lord Rama or are we imbibing the values of Ravana, who with his ego had become violent and a force of destruction?
She says let's pray that this Diwali we can commit to being better human beings and to rebuilding our society that needs love, compassion and support.
The Assistant Minister says let's reach out to those in our family and in our neighbourhood who are vulnerable—elders, people living with disability and sit with the children to share the good values the festival teaches us.
Kiran says during the exile period he killed King Ravana, whose ego had taken over his sense of righteousness, and we have been celebrating the epic story of Ramayan since our ancestors landed in Fiji 145 years ago.
The Assistant Minister says Lord Rama is known as Maryada Purshotam, meaning the man who practiced righteousness until he perfected it.
She says during this time, let's reflect on these characters and who do we emulate in our daily actions.
Kiran further says one of the key challenges we face as a society is that of thought pollution through negative emotions of anger, jealousy, hatred, and fear mongering while technology is also a contributor to our thought pollution.
She says each one of us has the power to deal with these as we let the divine light shine in us and through us to build a peaceful world.
She adds let us spread the light within and light across all our families, communities and share the joy of Diwali.
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