Purpose of ‘color wars’ at Rice must be questioned

It seems as though the poverty- and filth-ridden image of India most people have in their minds has given way to a new stereotype that paints the entire subcontinent as a unidimensional group of people whose only contribution to society is plastic sacks of colored powder. Instead of being a rich way to appreciate and take part in Indian culture, Rice has made Holi (and its affiliates of “color war” or “powder fight,” which may not explicitly use the name and thus falsely deny any tie to Holi) a shell of its actual glory, an undervalued and decontextualized caricature that promotes colorblind disrespect.