The festival of colours beginning tomorrow has become an excuse to harass women
The festival of colours beginning tomorrow has become an excuse to harass women
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With the festival of colours just round the corner, Mumbai is gearing up for the two-day revelry on March 19 and 20. 
For Mumbai's women commuters though Holi can be a trying time because of the free reign it gives hooligans.
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For Namrata Bajaj, commuting everyday on local trains is taxing, as she has to jostle with the crowd to get in and out of the train.
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But it's a complete nuisance for her during the two-day Holi festival. She, therefore, avoids trains and instead takes a cab during Holi.
Bajaj, who works at an event management company, says, "I will never take a train to travel during Holi. My friends have told me about incidents where water balloons were hurled at them.
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This happens especially, when trains pass through slum areas. Not only do the revellers hurl water balloons at you, they also fill these balloons with mud water, cow dung, etcetera. So it is quite disgusting." This year, Holi falls on a weekend.
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So, is Bajaj relieved? No. On the contrary she claims it is even more dangerous, "this year, Holi falls on the weekend. Not many people will be travelling in trains. All the more unsafe for women travelling alone."
Neenu Francis (24), another daily train commuter, has plans to stay at home in Holi. She remembers an incident when a water balloon hit her. "I was 14 then. Some kids were playing with water balloons and somebody threw a water balloon at me from the terrace of a building.
The thing hit my head and I almost blacked out for a few seconds," she recollects. Francis is lucky she can afford to stay at home. Many simply have to travel by trains to go to their places of work. For example, Ashu Dutt and her daughter have to travel every day by train, as cabs would not be easy on their pocket. Dutt travels from Vasai to Bandra for work and her daughter, Preeti goes to work in Andheri.
The only thing they can do is to take precautions. The mother-daughter duo is extra careful while commuting. "We have to travel by trains as we have no other option. During Holi, I am usually careful when the train slows down.
I also avoid standing near the door," says Ashu. Preeti, who works for an event management company, says, "I don't even sit near the window. I am also very careful while entering or leaving the station."
Violence leading to injuries and even death is heard of during Holi. Women say sometimes the mischief causes physical harm and mental trauma. The coloured water used to fill balloons with is known to have damaged eyesight and skin.
Some miscreants try to molest girls on the pretext of putting colour on their faces. This may leave a permanent scar on them. Poonam Hudar, who works for an NGO and commutes by train to office, believes that the problem is not just water balloons but the havoc they can cause.
Says she, "Girls have to be careful because they are targets. The miscreants fill water balloons with things, which can cause damage to your eyes. A person can even lose his/her eyesight. I have seen people getting rashes on their skin too."
Caution
Playing with colours is fun, but ophthalmologists urge caution. Says Dr Ambarish Darak, an ophthalmologist who has a clinic in Bandra (W), "These colours are mostly acidic in nature. So in case colour enters the eyes, one should immediately wash their eyes and if there is no relief they should visit an ophthalmologist."
"We immediately start giving the patients eye drops. Many patients come to us with corneal burns and there are chances that one can lose vision completely due to corneal burns. During these days people should avoid any eye make up. The makeup along with the colours can cause severe damage to the eyes," insists Darak.
During the two days of Holi, Darak is a busy man. Says he, "We see 15-20 patients everyday, who injure their eyes while playing with colours. I remember a case where four years ago, when an engineering student, who was hit by a water balloon, nearly lost his eyesight.
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He had to undergo a cornea transplant surgery, after which his vision could be restored." In many cases there can complete loss of vision. Says Dr Sunil Morerkar, Consultant Eye Surgeon, Cumballa Hill Hospital, "If the eyeball has ruptured (which is usually the case if the balloon has been hit from the tracks onto someone in a train moving with considerable speed) the vision will be lost and in such cases washing with water will be dangerous as that water enters into the eye.
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It is best to keep the eye covered with sterile cotton and see a doctor immediately." Dr Amyn Chagani who works at Mehta Eye Clinic in Ghatkopar (E) says that staying at home is the best precaution.
"If at all one has to go out, then it is best to wear protective glasses which can be bought from any optical shop. This will protect the eyes from any sort of injury."
Precautions for Eyes
Wear protective/safety glasses
If colour gets into your eyes, wash your eyes immediately with clean water
If redness persists, immediately visit an opthalmologist
During these days people should avoid any eye make up
Dr Ambarish Darak, ophthalmologist
It is best to keep the eye covered with sterile cotton and see a doctor immediately
Dr Sunil Morerkar, Consultant Eye Surgeon, Cumballa Hill Hospital
Skin damage
It is not only your eyes, which are at risk during Holi, colours and water balloons can also damage your skin. Dr Apratim Goel, a dermatologist, keeps her clinic open during Holi. "We see so many patients during this period.
Most of them complain of redness of skin and rashes," says Goel who has clinics in Bandra and Girgaum. "One should avoid standing near the doors while travelling in trains. If possible, one should wear swimsuit inside.
Such clothes will not allow colours to enter the skin," adds Goel.
Dr Satish Bhatia, a dermatologist and skin surgeon at Lady Ratan Tata Medical and Research Centre in Cooperage, insists on applying sun block and moisturising cream to prevent colours from entering the skin.
"SunBlock 30 SPF should be applied. This is good for Asian skin. One should also keep anti allergy tablets,"
says Bhatia.
If possible, one should wear swimsuit inside. Such clothes will not allow colours to enter the skinu00a0
Dr Apratim Goel, dermatologist
Precautions for skin
Apply Johnson baby oil to remove colours from skin After applying oil, use tissues to remove the colour
Then use a moisturiser
Apply barrier creams/sun screens to protect your skin
Authorities
The railway authorities claim they will make an extra effort to nab miscreants. Says Vidyadhar Malegaonkar, Chief PRO, central railways, "We will ask the Government Railway Police (GRP) to increase security.
Water balloons are a big nuisance but it is a law and order situation and GRP has to take care of this. Passengers should avoid standing on footboards." The GRP will be on the lookout for revelers creating trouble.
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"During the day, GRP constables will frequently travel in women's compartment to check the situation. The person nabbed can be prosecuted under the Indian Railway Act. In case a passenger is seriously injured, the person responsible can also face life imprisonment, says Director General of Police, GRP, Raj Prem Khilnani.
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Such incidents should be immediately reported to the station master. "First aid can then be administered. Since Holi falls on a weekend, there will be fewer commuters. We are not expecting much problem," says Khilnani with a sigh of relief.
If a passenger is seriously injured, the person responsible can also face life imprisonment - Director General
of Police, GRP, Raj Prem Khilnani
Song sung blue
Bollywood's great tradition of Holi songs is dying out
Do me a favour let's NOT play Holi. Holi songs and films revolving around the festival are as pass ufffd as Mala Sinha's falsies and Sadhana's fringe cut. There was a time when Holi provided not only an occasion for outstanding song situations but also a pretext for great drama.
Ouch
In the early 1970s, Mala Sinha got pregnant in Holi Aaee Re while playing Holi. By the 1980s Holi was a time of stress and hooliganism, both in and out of the movies. In Rajkumar Santoshi's Damini, the employer's drunken son rapes the maid of the house on Holi. Ouch.
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Pregnant
Move forward to the new millennium and we see the Holi song becoming almost defunct. In Vipul Shah's Waqt in 2005, the lead pair Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar played Holi while she was pregnant. The pair got a real dressing down from papa Amitabh Bachchan.
Legacy
The Big B, in his time, not only featured in some spectacular Holi songs in films; he also sang one of the most enduring Holi songs, and one of the last really remarkable Holi songs. Rang Barse in Silsila was a number that the Big B had picked up from his father.
Said the Big B, "That's a legacy of my father. I learnt of this song through him.u00a0 I used to sing Rang Barse and Mere Angnein Mein at all the Holi get-togethers at our house. That's where Yashji and Prakashji heard these songs, got them into Silsila and Lawaaris and asked me to sing them. So I am in no way instrumental in getting these songs into the movies."
Composer
Is it any wonder then that Yash Chopra insisted that the Big B sing the song in Silsila himself? Some years later, the Big B again sang another enduring Holi song, Holi Khele Raghuveera Awadh Mein in the film, Baghban. It is a folk song from Uttar Pradesh that composer Aadesh Shrivastava had heard both the Big B and his father Harivanshrai Bachchan sing on Holi occasions.
Traditional
Says Aadesh, "I had heard Amitji and his father sing this traditional Holi song. So, when a Holi number was called for in Baghban, I immediately suggested we do a new version of Holi Khele Raghuveera and I insisted that Amitji sing it."
Takers
Aadesh feels that the traditional Holi number has lost its relevance and resonance in present times. "I heard a very odd Holi song in a film a few years ago with some strange lyrics in English.
I feel today's generation lacks a connectivity with our culture and roots. They don't know what Holi signifies. This inability to understand what our culture is all about is reflected in our cinema.
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Holi songs are as irrelevant today as Holi itself. If you see, the number of Holi celebrations in the film industry has gone down dramatically. Where are all the grand Holi celebrations in those film empires hosted by the Movie Moghuls?
The whole concept of Holi has been subverted. When we decided to do a Holi song in Baghban, we wanted to make it acceptable to younger audiences. So, I changed the traditional number to a 'rave' composition. It worked, but I don't see myself composing another Holi number in the near future. There are no takers."
Peppy
Vipul Shah wanted a really young, peppy Holi number in Waqt. He got Anu Malik to compose, Do me a favour let's play Holi. Explains Vipul, "It was the only way I could get the younger audience interested in a Holi song. We can't have Holi aaee re kanhaiayee in this day and age."
Checkered
Holi songs have a curiously long and checkered history in Hindi cinema. Says Sanjay Leela Bhansali, "I loved the sounds of those Holi songs. I loved Holi aae re kanhaiayee from Mother India and Mohe panghat pe nandlal in Mughal-e-Azam. When I made Devdas I so badly wanted to include a Holi song. But I couldn't. But if you see I've used the colours of Holi and the abeer and gulaal motifs throughout."
Trigger
Holi used to be a wonderful trigger for movies in the past. Rajinder Singh Bedi's Phagun in 1973 centred on the theme of Holi. In the film, Waheeda Rehman's husband played by Dharmendra leaves forever after a conflict of interest during Holi.
Drama
Says filmmaker Rohit Jugraj, "The colours of Holi lend themselves to great drama in our cinema. I was fascinated by Ketan Mehta's Holi thinking it was a take on the festival. Later, I discovered Ketan making use of the splashing colours of Holi in Mirch Masala. Our cinema is indebted to the festival of Holi."
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