Cheer in Trump’s Diwali too

America’s President Donald Trump has picked up a wacky reputation for lightning fingers on his Twitter handle day and night. That not be such a good thing as he is impulsive sometimes, and not too well versed with facts to send off to Tweeple at odd hours. While his acolytes may love whatever he tweets, the discerning may examine it more carefully, as some did when he tweeted on Diwali, but didn’t seem to know it was a Hindu festival of lights, celebrated with gusto the world over. The White House was also a bit tardy, the festival lit up 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a whole week late. The spirit of Diwali may not have been so let down though as the assemblage was jolly enough as Mr Trump complimented Indians for “being good negotiators”.

Why blame the US President for not getting his facts right on Diwali when our own Supreme Court judges didn’t know the difference between Diwali, which marks the homecoming of Lord Ram after slaying Ravan, and Deepawali, which celebrates the slaying of Narakasura by Lord Krishna, who sent his Sudarshana Chakra to behead him. The wise judges had ruled Diwali firecrackers could be burst only in a two-hour timeframe on the evening of the festival across India. They were then politely reminded that in South India the tradition is very different, and people wake up early to celebrate another epic tale of the victory of good over evil. All stories around Diwali and Deepawali had a happy ending, except maybe in the air over the nation’s capital, which turned toxic.