Vaastav foundation celebrated Holika Dahan with a difference, A Holika dahan for the rights of men and boys, a Holika Dahan to help men and boys overcome the agony faced by them due to a failed marriage and relations. This was inspired by a popular Hindu festival called Holi. The Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with Holika Dahan. Pyres are burnt signifying the triumph of good over evil, the story is that a female demon Holika wanted to kill a boy named Prahlad. Holika had a special cloak garment that prevented her from being harmed by the fire. She tricked the boy to sit on her lap in a bonfire. However, as the fire roared, the garment flew from Holika and covered the boy. Holika burnt to death while the boy came out unharmed.
India today is hotbed for unethical practices of trapping men in marriage and then harassing the entire family of the boy to part with their hard-earned money and property. Extortion by using biased laws has taken form of business involving criminal women, lawyers and corrupt officials of the police and judiciary. So when a family that has never even seen a local police station gets arrested and jailed under false cases of dowry or rape, it gives a huge blow to them emotionally and financially. Such victims are helped by various men’s rights NGOs to overcome this painful experience and avoid getting extorted. Eventually, these victims overcome their fear, but the shock of being betrayed by someone these boys trusted with their life is unbearable for many.
In this Holika Dahan by Vaastav Foundation the list of anti-men laws and marriage certificate were burnt as a symbol of getting rid of the sorrows they brought in the life of these boys and men.
This event to burn marriage certificate was more of a symbolic way to help the victims come out of their grief. To get over their past, their failed marriages and relations. The victims of these biased laws could come out of their grief sooner or later, maybe that would have taken a month, maybe a year, maybe a few years. This idea of burning the marriage certificates and the list of biased laws was to create an event this year to help the victims make a transition from being a victim to an assertive person. A person who would not allow themselves to be harassed by anyone using biased laws. To help the boys get over memory of abusive marital relation. To get rid of the old me and start a new me from this Holi.
When the boys and men of Vaastav foundation decided to burn their marriage certificate they :
Burnt bad days they lived.
Burnt the suffering it brought.
Burnt the pain that came along.
Burnt the bad memories it gave.
Burnt the sleepless night they spent.
With its ashes they look forward to a better life without wife.
Following is a link to that event https://www.facebook.com/VaastavFoundation/videos/448053873163434/
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