Since the past year or so, Diwali has been a quieter event than we've been used to; especially in Delhi and its vicinity. The crackdown on fire crackers as well as increasing public concern over pollution and health issues has made a marked difference. In the recent past, the stores and impromptu stalls groaning with firecrackers that magically appeared around the festive season are altogether absent. Sweets are different. Diwali itself is different now.
The sale of regular firecrackers is virtually banned by the Supreme Court in Delhi, since no licences were issued. This is in order to curb how crackers contribute to the alarmingly high pollution levels around this time of year. One person was even arrested for bursting firecrackers in Delhi. Only low polluting or green crackers are allowed but these are not yet available. Timings have also been set and people will be permitted to burst crackers in that time slot. So Diwali sounds, looks, smells and feels different now.
The traditional ghee laden mithais are still there, but they have ceded space to nontraditional items items such as baklava, handmade chocolates, sugar free sweets, whole wheat biscuit, cakes, pralines, flaxseed laddoos, exotic preserves and so on.
As a child, I loved crackers so much that I would sleep with my cracker stash below my bed each night until I finished them off. But as an adult I get the fact that crackers not only create huge amounts of toxic pollution, they also trigger allergies and illnesses, disturb kids with exams, sick and old people. They terrify animals and result in injuries each year.
As the pollution causes illnesses and other problems, some are happy to support the cracker less Diwali initiative. They feel that this is not really that much of a sacrifice and is definitely for the greater good.
The condition of people with certain medical ailments is badly exacerbated by cracker smoke and those with allergies can feel the polluted air troubling their airways. Many of the tweeple feel that it is really unfortunate that people are flouting court directives and wasting money on crackers.
A great number of people are really unhappy with the cracker ban. They feel as though the joy has gone out of Diwali; that the festival is somehow missing its essence.
A lot of people feel that the cracker ban is unreasonable and futile because something like this is so difficult to enforce. They feel that crackers on a couple of days a year are not so much of a problem as vehicular pollution that goes on all year round.
A lot of people are really angry with the Supreme Court directives and openly plan to flout them. Others feel that the ban is not realistic and that it negatively impacts the livelihood of thousands.
Crackers are fun, not doubt about it. But they are also a huge waste of money; burning up thousands within minutes. A lot of people are now coming around to thinking that donating that amount for some worthy cause puts the money to far better use.
Green or indigenous firecrackers such as these made in Assam for over a hundred years are supposed to be low emission, low noise crackers. Perhaps this could be a solution? Perhaps next year we may not be asking इतना सन्नाटा क्यों है भाई at Diwali time?
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