Let the festivities begin

While the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been celebrating the New Year according to the Hindu calendar (the first day of the month of Chaitra) for many years, it had announced that this year, it would celebrate the day (which fell on March 21), in a big way. It had urged people to decorate their houses with indigenous lighting and hoist flags with an 'Om' sign atop their houses. Living up to the promise, Sangh-affiliated organisations pushed New Year greetings through social media and cell phones, while the Bharatiya Janata Party office, too, displayed banners with New Year wishes. It came as no surprise when one received a greeting card from Lok Sabha Speaker and Indore Member of Parliament, Sumitra Mahajan, earlier this week, wishing "Naya sal Bharat vijay ka ho" (May the New Year be that of a victorious India).