MUMBAI: Holi is perhaps India’s most popular international festival. With the onset of spring, India attracts film-makers and photographers from around the world, all of whom are keen on capturing their very own technicolour tales. But hidden amidst the euphoria, is an ugly side that often goes unnoticed - the licence millions of men give themselves to harass, grope and even molest women under the guise of colour.

As part of a women’s safety initiative, Reliance General Insurance has launched #HoliNotHooliganism. The intent being to focus attention on a largely ignored reality surrounding Holi festivities.

Campaign website: HoliNotHooliganism

Ogilvy Mumbai group creative director Burzin Mehta adds, “When students are hurled with sperm-filled balloons and forced to celebrate the world’s most colourful festival indoors, there’s a serious problem. Which is why it is almost inevitable to expose what the festivities camouflage. And we’ve done that by taking generic Holi pictures and stripping the colour off them. What we were left with churned our insides.  But it is the unfortunate truth.

Reliance General Insurance CEO Rakesh Jain says, “Holi is one of India’s most beautiful festivals because it upholds the spirit of liberation. But for a few it has turned into an excuse to harass women that destroy the beautiful festival with a horrifying experience for women. This campaign is our small contribution to create awareness and is one of the many initiatives we do as a corporate towards women’s safety.”

#HoliNotHooliganism consists of a social media blitz as well as interactive posters at colleges across Mumbai and Delhi. In the hope that when the country celebrates Holi this year, its women will feel safe enough to get out of their homes and smear each other with colours of joy, not fear.