Among the many videos making the rounds of the internet in the wake of Diwali celebrations, one particular video from Sonipat, Haryana, in the industrial belt of Ganaur, has divided the internet.
In the viral video in question, a group of workers were gathered near the gate of the factory where they work. Each one of them had a box of popular Indian sweet Soan Papdi in hand and was seen dumping them on the ground, encouraging other workers to do the same.
The workers in the video claimed that these boxes of Soan Papdi were the only gifts that they received for the festival of Diwali. According to Hindustan Times, a local report had revealed the claims of the workers that they had been promised a monetary Diwali bonus. As such, when the workers seemingly only received a box of Soan Papdi for Diwali, they were outraged and decided to protest.
Frustrated by apparently being misled and unappreciated, the employees decided to dump said gifts in front of the factory, leading to a pile of sweets right in front of the factory. On the internet, as the news and video became more and more popular, the netizens have expressed differing opinions on what happened.
In particular, people seemed uncomfortable with the waste of food. Many claimed that dumping food on the ground was something against the very spirit of Diwali.
“A gift of any kind is an act of goodwill. Throwing away food goes against the essence of Diwali. They could have distributed it to people in need instead. Everyone expects something expensive but forgets that true warmth doesn’t come from things. With such attitudes, prosperity won’t follow,” said one user.
“I don’t know why this doesn’t sit right with me. Maybe the company couldn’t afford something costlier, but food deserves respect. Some firms don’t even give their staff anything on Diwali,” added another.
“As an employer, I feel very sad to see this. For whatever it’s worth, the employer gave something, said an X user. “Whoever has thrown it like this not only shows disrespect towards food, which is equivalent to committing paap in Hinduism. One may be disappointed at what the company has done, but this is a disgusting way to respond to it. They could have refused to take it from the boss; that would have given him a better message.”
However, many also openly expressed their support for the factory workers, claiming that it was not Soan Papdi but what it signified that led workers to protest in such a manner.
“They’re not upset about Soan Papdi. They’re angry because they didn’t get the bonus they were expecting,” one internet user expressed.
“The company deserved this kind of response; as an employee, I understand their frustration,” said another, while a third added, “Probably an HR department idea.”
