Yes its a bit lengthy but worth reading. The usual talk about not to burst crackers during Diwali and celebrate green Diwali (whatever the heck it means) has started doing its rounds on Twitter and Facebook. Although Im very much concerned about the environmental impact the crackers have and I can even sympathise with children having asthma attacks due to the smoke released by crackers I dont see how celebrating the festival for a single day can wreck havoc with the environment of the world especially when millions of vehicles and industrial units all over the world spew millions of tons of poisonous gases every second into the greenhouse. I think it has become a fashion to preach people about how to care for the environment during festivals like Diwali and Holi. If people actually cared for the environment they would use public transport as much as possible instead of using their personal cars (without making scores of excuses). Im not going to go into that bursting crackers for the sake of tradition gibberish because I dont know whether it is the actual tradition or not, but it is really something people enjoy doing for a single day. Its not that we are bursting crackers everyday and pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere for the hack of fun. Yes, crackers are dangerous – people get burnt and sometimes even eardrums get burst – but these sort of accidents can happen in any sort of entertainment. Michael Schumacher banged his head against a rock indulging in a perfectly healthy activity and then went into a coma; he was not bursting crackers. OK, I know Im drawing a vague parallel. Although you will find 100s of people asking you not to burst crackers but there are very few who actually come up with good, enjoyable alternatives. How to celebrate Diwali if not burst crackers? Traditions evolve and we adopt good habits along the way. I totally agree, there must be a better way to celebrate this wonderful festival and were just not aware of it. But until then, if people enjoy, why not let them enjoy? And now I will come to my usual right-wing rhetoric. Remember recently a girl was attacked for suggesting Muslims not to butcher goats because indescribable cruelty is perpetrated upon hapless animals? None of the people who are preaching about not to burst crackers on Diwali came forward and joined the cause with the girl. Let alone join the cause, these usual people (who tell you every year not to celebrate Diwali with crackers and Holi with water) not even uttered a single word about the sheer uselessness of killing so many animals for the sake of a festival. And that too, such a painful death. Had they also voiced their disenchantment with this barbaric tradition and after that they had also protested against the crackers, I would have appreciated their sincerity and could have also related to their chain of thought. Recently I was talking to someone on Twitter from Amnesty International UK and I asked him why they always seem to be taking side of a particular community and if there are cruelties happening everywhere, why not highlight those qualities from everywhere rather than from a single perspective? First he tried to give me some esoteric answers and then finally he said, Well, we all have to pick our battles and I have picked this particular battle. I really felt bad about the reply. Its not about picking battles. Its about siding with the right and opposing the wrong. When you side with the right and oppose the wrong you dont see a religion or a community. You dont differentiate between traditions. Before you go into the tailspin of who knows whats right and whats wrong Im sure that deep down you know the answer and its your ego that stops you from accepting that. The same mentality I see manifest in this particular class that advises people to shun bursting crackers during Diwali. The message is noble, but the intent is not.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 08:27:24 +0000
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