Twitter Brings a #HappyDiwali to All

By Anita Sethi from The Guardian In the midst of the usual snap crackle and pop of fireworks overhead, there have been more modern modes of celebrating Diwali this year, illuminating how technology might be used to spread a message of hope. It was barely one hour into the five-day Festival of Lights and already Twitter was aglow with celebration – everyone from politicians to popstars, regardless of their own religion, joined in to wish their followers a #HappyDiwali with such enthusiasm that soon it was trending. “On this day of the Festival of Light, wishing everyone peace, joy and a Happy Diwali”, tweeted Sarah Brown (@SarahBrownUK), whilst singer Jay Sean (@JaySean) wished, “Happy diwali to all my fans celebrating!!!! Love ur fam… never take em for granted!!!”. “A very happy Diwali to all our followers! Spend some quality time with family and friends and be safe!”, tweeted Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor. Thousands of wishes for peace warmed cyberspace. I was burning the midnight oil, feeling the cold and dark of winter encroaching, when I spotted #HappyDiwali trending and above it, #no2racism – scrolling through heartwarming comments I recalled that “Diwali” means “row of lamps”, and each tweet seemed a modern version of those lights which traditionally mark the celebrations. Sentiments spread like wildfire on Twitter and when those 140 characters carry a message of peace, social media shows its efficacious side. Click here to read the full article