Celebrate India’s Arun Sharma says they hadn’t imagined drawing a crowd of 25,000 when they hosted the first Fed Square Diwali in 2006. Even back then, the ambitious four-member organisation were outdoing themselves.
“We had no idea how many people would turn up…It was completely unknown territory; but the support and the interest we got from people was amazing,” Sharma remembers.
It’s unsurprising then, for their 20th anniversary this year, they pulled out all the stops – a two-day affair with 350 performances, stalls galore and of course, their trademark fireworks. Highlights of this year’s Victorian Festival of Diwali include guests Maharishi Pandya and Hetal Patel of Zee TV’s SaReGaMaPa fame who played an open-air concert on Friday night, and cross-cultural dance collaborations between the Indian, Fijian, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese diasporas.
Over the years, the festival has taken shape in unique ways, including performances inside Melbourne Airport, a weeklong film festival, a cross-cultural essay competition in Victoria’s primary schools, and collaborations with Melbourne University, Louis Vutton and AFL.
But this year, they faced perhaps one of their biggest challenges yet, staging Diwali celebrations in a tumultuous period for the Indian diaspora; it was mere weeks ago anti-immigration protesters descended on that very area of the Melbourne CBD, and mere months ago a Pahalgam solidarity vigil took place in that very same Fed Square.
“We had to do extra preparation; there’s police and un-uniformed security around,” Sharma explains. “There was concern, especially from the parents, who were asking whether it’s okay before coming.”
“We normally get a massive crowd, and maybe there’s a touch of that [concern], but most people are not worried about it…majority of Australians are welcoming, so there’s no reason why they should stay home and worry about it.”
The grand celebration was a welcome reprieve for the diaspora, who flocked to the city in droves to celebrate the festival of lights.
“This year it was tough to get back to India, and there was tension, so it’s nice to have this,” says Ankur, an attendee who, even despite train disruptions, travelled into the city from Ballarat just for the Fed Square Diwali. “It’s really nice our culture is being celebrated here.”
“This kind of atmosphere feels even more validating after seeing all that – to see we are able to still go ahead with the celebration despite all those comments,” said Deepa, who attended the festivities with family.
It seems this year, Diwali’s message of light triumphing darkness has proven especially apt.
“We’re talking about the light of knowledge and tolerance having a victory over the darkness of intolerance – it’s even more relevant in today’s time,” Sharma said.
This significance was certainly not lost on our lawmakers, with political representatives at both state and federal levels and from both sides of the ditch putting in appearances; everyone from City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece to Senator Paul Scarr was present.
Former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu even dusted off his bright orange kurta, and Tim Watts, representing the Prime Minister, rattled off numerous phrases in Hindi.
“Diwali has really become one of the favourite festivals for all of us in Victoria; in the Western Suburbs, we’ve got a Diwali every day for the next 14 days,” remarked State Multicultural Minister Ingrid Stitt in her address.
“The small number of voices you hear on the internet saying those dark things are vastly outnumbered by all of us who are so proud of the modern Australia we have built here today,” said Tim Watts in his speech.
This show of goodwill from those in charge has certainly gone appreciated amongst the diaspora.
“The government is doing a lot in terms of supporting Indian community and immigrants, it feels like they are concerned when they have these type of events for us,” says Ankur.
“Melbourne is such a multicultural community and that’s one of the reasons we chose to come here,” Deepa shares. “To have the whole country celebrate with us is really good.”
Celebrate India’s Fed Square Diwali has had a golden run, and it’s exciting to imagine how this landmark event will evolve over the coming years.
As noted in the official addresses, Melbourne has overtaken Sydney as Australia’s biggest city, not least due to the ‘might’ of the Indian diaspora, so it looks like our beloved festival of lights will only get brighter going forward.
Who knows, one day we might even get a Diwali public holiday, as Sharma himself has cheekily propounded. Regardless, the ethos behind the event looks to endure.
“I really want people – not just Indians, but everyone – to come here and participate, enjoy, and feel at home,” Sharma says. “A few years back, Ted Bailieu saw so many non-Indians here and said, ‘it’s not an Indian festival anymore’ – he called it the ‘Victorian Festival of Diwali’, and hence our name today.”
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