Diwali: An appeal
Gone are the days when Diwali used to be a real fun filled festival of lights.
Do we remember why we used to celebrate Diwali? Not many can answer.
Swami Vivekananda had said that Hinduism has two parts: Spiritualism and Rituals, unfortunately people focus on rituals. How true Swami’s words are today. The spiritualism is thrown down the drain or the gutters where all our post Diwali trash goes, that are often toxic. However, we are ever eager to show are financial wealth in making our rituals much more bigger. If God were to be dumb and get easily appeased by our rituals, then surely he would be happy with show of wealth by today’s generation, which our forefathers didn’t.
And show of wealth it is!
Imports are pouring in from China. Gone are the traditional clay lamps, replaced by fancy lights imported from China. Currently there are no norms governing the imports of these lights nor does anyone measure whether the plastics and other materials are non-toxic. The eWaste rules is supposed to have been implemented in May 2012, has among others covers only a few products and for all practical purposes is able to hold responsible only the large producers (and in a few cases importers who are also technically defined as producers). There is no idea how many tons of such products will go to the landfill.
The firecrackers used to be celebratory in nature. However, if every second a firecracker or a series of those explode filling the entire place with a blanket of thick smoke, the impact on the respiratory system and overall health of people is huge. The State Governments of Delhi has come out with advertisements in few leading dailies to appeal to people to celebrate this as a cracker-free Diwali. Unfortunately, this needs a lot of more effort than just a few advertisements in leading dailies.
Fireworks in the night sky
The Government should have directed all the Schools to conduct drama, skit, elocution competitions on the theme of pollution and celebrating a cracker-free Diwali. That will help in convincing the kids and putting pressure on their parents.
I am away from Delhi, so I can breathe better. However, even in Odisha people are bursting crackers at the middle of night, even two days before Diwali. If I could wake up, imagine the plight of the birds and animals. Most of them get disoriented and try to hide. There are increased palpitations, higher blood pressure, increased stress. It can lead to increased abortion in several species. For further details please check this article from IndiaWilds Newsletter Vol. 4 Issue VI titled ‘Soundscape Ecology: Impact of sounds on our wildlife’ :http://www.indiawilds.com/
Considering the fact that there are several areas with Human-elephant conflict, the sound and smell of firecrackers bursting is likely to further intensify the conflict.
Change begins with us. I have stopped using firecrackers. If you too can follow what you believe in, then we all can be true harbingers of change. I choose to live in hope.
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and that’s why there are two different things rituals and spirituals… one could harm the other until or unless did together…
this appeal should be shouted aloud….
A needed message at this time.. Even yesterday I saw cows and dogs running scared at the sight of bursting crackers.. Such a pitiful condition.. People must learn to have fun without disturbing others… Hope this changes..
Harikrishna,
I remember in my childhood days, the street children would tie Amul can’s in the tails of donkeys, cows and dogs and put a big chain of crackers in that. The poor animals used to suffer enormously.
Sabyasachi
This year crackers seemed lesser in Bangalore compared to previous years. In my younger days I have been very fond of crackers. But animal protection and environment protection is definitely more important. Really appreciate your care for environment. It is so less in India. Whereas in Europe we have greens, for Indian political parties environment is a non-issue.
I fully agree that in India, there is very less emphasis on environment. People feel environment is not an issue that impacts common many. Unfortunately, millions of people in India will be devastated due to the impacts of climate change, some of which has already started showing up. I hope people in India become aware, so that environment gets into the political agenda of all the political parties.
A great appeal! So relevant and truly the need of the hour!
I whole heartedly join you, Sabya, and completely support the noble cause! Thank you!
Thanks Amit!
All of us need to raise our voice else bringing about this change is not easy.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
This is such an informative post. My elder son had decided that he will stop bursting firecrackers from this year but finally gave in to the temptation. We bought just a few sparklers, firepots and ground chakkars. I want to completely do away with them. I also prefer simple clay diyas instead of the glitzy ones. I am sharing your post on Facebook. I know it is a bit late but this should be read by all. Thank you Sabyasachi.
Thanks Rachna!
Diwali may have been over for this year, ofcourse, in Maharashtra and in other places people are still celebrating it. The task is huge. So we have to be relentless in promoting this cause. Only by sustained efforts can we bring change. Our kids need to be made aware, as they are an important player in this. Good that your son is becoming aware. They can then spread the message within their friends circle. We elders need to be convinced of this as well. So it is good that you have started spreading the message.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
I am reminded of a time after Diwali spent in Ahmedabad. They celebrate New Year on the next day of Diwali. My infant son at that time was sick with fever and throat infection. We had a hard time at night, and then around 4ish in the morning, they started bursting bombs and other noisy crackers. I felt so helpless with a wailing baby. My husband even went to request them, but they said that it was our problem. It was their New Year :(.
Rachna,
Sad to hear that you had to face such a pathetic response from people. How can we enjoy when someone else is suffering due to the offshoot of our enjoyment? This hedonistic behaviour has no place in our religion. Why can’t our religious leaders talk about it? People call themselves Swami and take part in programs like “Big Boss” but cannot think of these social evils? In the absence of heroes, the common man and woman has to raise his/her voice to eradicate such nuisance from our society.
Sabyasachi
The entire issue of Diwali being the festival of lights has been hijacked by commercial establishments and thoughtless individual and turned into a competition of wealth. No one thinks about pollution, harm to animals and birds, newborns, infants and as you pointed out, even fetuses, on the unwell, the elderly. No one thinks about how a child from a poor family feels when he sees his peers spend money on fireworks that his family cannot afford. No one thinks about the risks taken by the 40-rs-a-day worker to make those fireworks. Your perspective on the effects of anthrophony is a very important one. I was not aware of the impaired communications aspect of birds and animals leading to deaths in situations where they interface with human development. I hope your post will reach far and wide and increase awareness on this important issue, and that next year, we will have a quieter and cleaner Diwali.
Hi Subho,
I completely agree with you. When I asked why someone is bursting crackers so much, I was told that the person is showing off saying that in one day he spent ten thousand rupees on crackers. This is simply madness. People are losing out on the larger picture. When I compare ourselves with the deprived classes, I feel we are blessed. With education and wealth and power comes responsibility. We have to show compassion for other living beings as well. Since in our ecosystem everything is linked, by showing compassion we are also helping ourselves. We have to raise a lot of awareness. I am an eternal optimist. I live in Hope. I am sure we can give our next generation a cleaner and greener tomorrow.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Hi
In Singapore firecrackers are banned (sales also ) except for sparkles . Deepavali is a public holiday and there is a huge population of Indian origin celebrating the festival . And it feels no less complete without all the fireworks and noise . Hope we can adopt it as well .
Hi Jaish,
I completely understand your point as from our childhood days we have associated Diwali with festivities which includes crackers etc. However, with a billion population in India itself and seven billion world population, the carrying capacity fo Mother Earth for tolerating such nuisance is limited. So the crackers have become too much and needs to be stopped. Singapore gets impacted by the pollution from burning in Indonesia. So it is understandable that Singapore has banned firecracker sale.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
In Chennai it’s been going on since last Saturday. One explosion / second! Literally! I doubt even real battle fields would see these many explosions!
Hi Rajrupa,
I was in Chennai till last year. People in my apartment complex used to burst crackers continuously, even in the dead of night. It was really tough on me. And believe me, my hearing ability has reduced. When I am in the jungle, faint sounds like a tiger cracking bones at a distance becomes difficult to hear, whereas my trekker can hear it. We forget that the sound pollution is increasingly pushing us towards deafness as well.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Hi SP
Excellent message! I have not purchased crackers for so many years now. My son had lost interest in them even before he left school.
Fortunately Diwali is a low-key affair in Kerala.
But I have seen pictures on Facebook of the mess created after fireworks. Such a waste.
Pollution of all sorts causing harm and discomfort to men and animals. But there seems to be no end to the stupidity.
Let us hope that we see less and less of this madness in the years ahead.
Hi Jayadev,
Good to know that your son is lost interest in crackers. I believe our children often have more belief and can really bring out change. When I was in Chennai last year, the firecrackers were burst like crazy. It is the same thing in Delhi as well. I have now come on work to Odisha and here too the madness reigns supreme. I hope we can change this for the better.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Crackers have become such a nuisance that the whole essence of Diwali is lost it seems. I agree with every word written by you. I have been promoting this cause for a long time now. And have succeeded in convincing my entire family to give up on crackers. I hope the message spreads. I wrote a post about it too on last Diwali.
Good job!
Hi Upasana,
You write nice poems. Please write some good poems on this topic. To bring out change, a single person or single mode of communication is not enough. Everybody has to lend their voice in prose, poetry, print media, electronic media or plain old meetings or word of mouth information sharing.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Wish you Happy and safe Deepavali.
Thanks Rajesh!
Happy Deepavali to you too.
Cheers,
Sabyasachi
Sabyasachi Patra, you point is correct
“Swami Vivekananda had said that Hinduism has two parts Spiritualism and Rituals” “we are ever eager to show are financial wealth in making our rituals much more bigger”
The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: ??????? D?p?val?), which translates into "row of lamps", Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (d?pa in Sanskrit: ???) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.–Source from Diwali Wiki
When people are trying to show their wealth by bursting crackers, without thinking about pollution it will become a big problem for future.
1. Hindu Saints needs to concentrate on this and needs teach people to use good traditions/rituals (that won’t cause any type of pollution)
2. Government needs to support on publishing good information in all the way (like using paper/ electronic media/ cultural activities/ elocution/ debate).
3. Every Parent/Teacher needs to teach their children about good culture eg: use of traditional clay lamps. (
traditional clay lamps, replaced by fancy lights imported from China)from next year i will stop bursting crackers.
Thank you for appeal.
Hi Chandra Sekhar,
It is heartening to know that you have decided to stop bursting crackers.
You have raised valid points. In an intensely religious country like India, we should use the religious leaders to save our environment and wildlife. We all have a responsibility to teach the next generation as well as our generation about the importance and need for conservation.
Sabyasachi
A nice thoughtful post for all those who would like less noise , and more sharing on that wonderful day.
But the issue is , all those who read our posts are almost of the view (barring a few), that loud noised crackers should stop.
What about those who pollute the environment and the peace? they are not reading our posts, the message is to reach them!. Hope by next year we will be able to each out to more number of people, in novel ways.
I completely agree with you. The first stop is we reaching a consensus and then make efforts to physically move out and spread the message. You have rightly said that we need to use novel ways to spread the message. Individually the task may appear challenging. However, collectively we can succeed.
Posting of this article is very informative and need of the hour. I wish to add that the noise and airpolution not only affects the animals and birds it very much affects human beings as well. I want to specify the aged, the small children and babies go through a traumatic period with fear.The ritual starts a day before the festival day and continues for another two days after until the left over crackers are used. It also with many a show of wealth while millions of hungry in our country can’t afford even a cup of tea.
Government should put a ban on such wasteful expenditure and educate people from the grass root level.
I endorse views expressed by many in this column on this subject
There is no end to our ego and greed. Some people even have said that it is their birth right to pollute and Government has the responsibility to control pollution. There can’t be more unfortunate thoughts than this. I am surprised why we are not compassionate. Even when the aged and the children are suffering due to loud noise, we blare loud music and burst crackers. Will God approve of such cruelty?