Holi rangon ka tyauhaar zaroor hai lekin bhang ke bina Holi ka rang bhi bhung ho jayega.

Why is bhang prohibited in India of all the places in the world? It has had a cultural significance in this country.

In Hinduism, bhang takes on special meaning as the preferred plant of Shiva, the God of destruction, who is believed to have used bhang to focus inward and harness His divine powers for the good of the world.

It has been used by Hindus in food and drink as early as 2000 BC. Bhang is traditionally distributed by Hindus during the spring festivals of Holi and Maha Shivratri.

Marijuana was legal in India until 1985 when the Rajiv Gandhi government banned it under American pressure.

In recent times, the Americans have defied their billion-dollar liquor and tobacco industries to legalise marijuana. Why not India?

Even today the consumption of cannabis in India is far more than anywhere else in the world, though the quality is suspect.

Indians are being deprived of legally buying herbal products with medicinal benefits. By doing so, the underworld survives and those in power line their pockets.

Banning marijuana increases the demand for it and generates revenue for wrong purposes.