Caustic Colours of Rajasthan

The desert state of Rajasthan has had a somewhat more placid image compared to its neighbours but that reputation is fast losing its shine.

- Rohit Parihar

Street violence over perceived slights has often been a bane but what's proving worse is the lack of restraint higher up, with the words and deeds of politicians bordering on the boorish.

This year's Holi brought out some of the symptoms of the rash that has begun to ail the state. It started with the St Angela Sophia School in Jaipur issuing a circular to students to not bring colours to school, possibly because they wanted to avoid any untoward incident of harassment. But it took no time to snowball into a communal controversy, so much so that on March 11, school education minister Madan Dilawar declared that he would write to the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) to take action against the school. The very next day, a tragedy proved that the way some play Holi in the state can be calamitous. Hansraj Meena, 25, who was preparing for an exam at a library in Dausa town near Jaipur, was fatally attacked after he objected to some youths putting colour on him.

A RASH OF INCIDENTS WITH A COMMUNAL TINGE AROUND HOLI HAS PUT THE BHAJAN LAL GOVT IN A SPOT