Reasons to celebrate ...

Author: Frank Krishner

So October is here with a bang, action packed, what with a national cleanliness campaign being launched on World Non-violence Day (October 2), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden speech over All India Radio attracting listeners from Harnaut to Hajipur and  later in the evening, the chilling news of a stampede in the heart of Patna.

International day for Older persons (October 1) passed quietly as usual, lost in the Navratra celebrations. October 4, the birthday of St. Francis of Assisi (and my feast day) was World Animal Day.  International teacher’s day is celebrated on the 5^th of October, and that’s when the UN focuses on teacher’s issues. No plans are afoot to observe this day in India. 

The first Monday of October is when the UN celebrates World Habitat Day. The theme  is especially significant for Patna and other cities in Bihar. This year, the United Nations chose the theme ‘Voices from Slums’. The World Habitat Day 2014 campaign aims to recognize life in slums and give a voice to slum dwellers for improving quality of living conditions in existing slums.  

This year, the festival of Bakr Id also falls on October 6-7, and since the festival is also about showing charity to the poor, we could be more conscious of this while offering our prayers, suggested a student who believes that “faith must also reflect twenty first century concerns”. Of course, suggesting that one become vegetarian on a day like this is an apostasy, and it would be wise for publicity seeking PETA activists to think carefully before making brainless appeals.

World Post Day is celebrated each year on October 9, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union. It’s when philatelists look forward to new stamps and products from the General Post Office to add to their collections. October 10 is World Mental Health Day

Yet another reason to celebrate girls comes around on October 11, the international day of the Girl Child. It’s yet another opportunity for us to remind ourselves and our neighbours that we have to keep girls in school, and empower them,  says a resource person from Bihar Mahila Samakhya on whose desk lie numerous case studies of parents who resist educating their girls beyond the fifth grade. October 13 is the International day for Disaster Reduction.

Don’t forget to wash your hands on October 15, because you may be pulled up by schoolchildren, rural women, Panchayat ward members. Bihar will be observing Global Handwashing Day with poster competitions, rallies, and other activities.

Village women have their own day to celebrate themselves and their achievements, and October 15 is when leading NGOs that run Bihar’s self help women’s groups will be looking to organize programmes. “This can be tied in with  World Food Day which is on October 16, especially as several state government programmes are being run to promote women cultivators,” observed a social activist. 

“The festival of lights falls on October 23^rd and that’s an occasion for all of us to celebrate,” says Melvin from Kurji, and of course Chhat will follow six days later, and that’s Bihar’s mega bathing festival.

On October 24, the United Nations celebrates itself, and it is also the World day for Development Information.

On  October 27  call over friends and watch all those classic movies and sing out those really old songs because it is World day for Audiovisual heritage. Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes are our common heritage and contain the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries. They help to maintain our diverse cultural identity; but countless documentary treasures have disappeared since the invention of image and sound technologies that help us to share experiences, creativity and knowledge. All of the world's audiovisual heritage is endangered, and that’s why this day was earmarked in 2005.

October 29 is International Internet day, and October 31 is an excuse to hold fancy dress parties because it is Halloween. Have an eventful October.