It scarred me. To this day, “Holi hai” sounds like a war cry to me, a justification to attack me in any way they wanted, with no consequences.
Menstrual stigma trumped Holi stigma.
Holi is the symptom of a sexually repressed society. We don’t talk about sex but have an annual anything-goes fraternisation party.
All acts are acceptable because there is divine blessing.
We need to seriously reconsider Holi in the context of consent.
But will we?