Until a few years ago, during Fagu Purnima (Holi), people used to throw colours and balloons filled with dirty water on others without their consent. Women would be the main target, so they would refrain from going to colleges and offices during days before the festival.

It used to be challenging for the police to contain the unruly groups roaming around the cities violating traffic rules and brawling with other groups they encountered in the streets.

However, such practices have drastically subsided in recent years. This year, even on the day of the Holi, no such incidents were observed, according to police officials.

The Holi festival is believed to officially start from the day of Falgun Shukla Asthami which falls a week before the Fagu Purnima. On the day of Falgun Shukla Asthami a decorated wooden pole adorned with colourful flags, known as Chir, is erected in front of the Gaddhi Baithak in Basantapur.

Until a few years ago, people would throw colours and water-filled balloons (commonly called lolas) at others after the installation of Chir in Basantapur, often with the intent of troubling other people.

“This year, we haven’t encountered such incidents at all,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Aprilraj Bohara, also the spokesperson of District Police Range Kathmandu.

Such developments indicate that Nepali society is becoming more civilised, Bohara said, attributing the reform to continuous efforts of the Nepal Police.

“The Nepal Police has put efforts to raise public awareness through various ways,” Bohara said. “Additionally, the younger generation appears to be more cultured in this regard, which is why the practice of throwing lolas or applying colours without consent has declined during Holi.”

Young people playing Holi on the Tribhuvan University premises on Thursday agree with SP Bohara’s statement. They believe that as people’s awareness has increased in recent times, the practice of forcibly applying colours has declined.

Bibechana Pandey, a postgraduate student in the Humanities faculty at the Central Campus, has been living in Kathmandu for the past five years. She says that, to this day, she has never experienced anyone forcibly applying colours on her during Holi.

“We play Holi for fun. Applying colours to others forcibly won’t make the festival entertaining,” Pandey said.

But sociologists say that this issue should not be evaluated solely in terms of the growing civilisation among people and the awareness of the police administration.

Sociologist Meena Upreti argued that one of the reasons behind decreasing more aggressiveness of the revellers might also be the exodus of youths to foreign countries.

“While the enthusiasm is diminishing, some of the wrong aspects of Holi have also diminished,” Upreti said.

Associate Professor Tikaram Gautam of the Faculty of Sociology under Tribhuvan University also says that the Holi of recent times is somewhat different as the youth who used to engage in reckless activities are becoming adults. And the new generation has developed a culture of respecting people’s personal freedom, said Gautam.

“As society has become more civilised, there has been a change in people’s values and the practice of playing Holi in a way that harms others has decreased,” Gautam said.

The traffic police stepped up security check ups in the Kathmandu Valley on Thursday. Nepal Police deployed more than 2,700 police personnel to maintain law and order in the Valley.

Traffic police had tightened inspections, particularly the vehicles used by the people celebrating the festival and travelling around various places in groups.

Traffic checks were conducted at more than 100 locations in the Kathmandu Valley and more than 100 people were punished, according to traffic police. Traffic police said actions were taken to those who were caught driving under the influence of alcohol and those who violated traffic rules.

Police took actions against more than 1,418 people for violating traffic rules on Thursday. Police impounded over 315 two-wheelers, more than two dozen four-wheelers, and 10 people for drink-driving, according to Traffic Police spokesperson Sanjay Bahadur Raut.

According to police, this number is significantly less in comparison to the number of cases reported during Holi until a few years ago.