Happy and safe Diwali
If I had my way, I’d do away with loud crackers and just spread light and love instead during Diwali. But I can’t have my way :) So, my plea is to spare a thought for the air and noise pollution that these fire crackers cause. The day after we have had all the fun, the roads and localities are left littered with the remains and we don’t spare a thought as to who will do the clean-up act. Not to mention the fact that scores of people who die and get injured during Diwali due to mishaps and accidents. And many of the firecrackers you buy are also made under dubious circumstances.
Apparently, about “40,000 children working in the narrow bylanes of Sivakasi District, about 650 km south of Chennai and home to the fireworks and matchstick industry, employing 50,000 people.”
Watch this report to know more about what goes in this industry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt6YLUnWCsc
While your kids are enjoying firecrackers, remember that it might be at the expense of the not so lucky children on the other side who are exploited to make these a reality for you.
A special note to parents to be responsible especially when giving crackers to kids. Please make sure they don’t indulge in lighting them without any adult supervision. I’ve seen kids (and actually adults too) do really dangerous things on the roads and residential building compounds without any concern for passers-by, mainly due to their ignorance. I am especially scared of rockets (I wish someone would ban them!) as they tend to go everywhere except up and can cause a lot of damage to both people and property.
If you do indulge in lighting up firecrackers, please do look at these safety norms first.
Light the lamps instead, spread some light, eat your favourite sweets and try and teach your kids that Diwali is also about celebrating in other ways than making a loud noise and ruckus. I’m definitely going to light my lamps and say no to the noise. A very happy Diwali to all of you!
Yes, Anita, we gave up firecrackers many years ago after we realized just how they were being manufactured! I find Deepavali a much quieter festival in Bangalore compared to a city like Chennai…let’s hope that either fireworks are manufactured under better working conditions..or that more people decide that they can do without them.
Thanks for the socially responsible post!
I really appreciate your concerns for child labour in the cracker industry. Owing to the strict enforcements by the govts and by the various NGOs operating in the region it has been eliminated. If you want to be sure that the crackers you buy was not made by any factory which employs kids you can look for the NCLE tag–No Child Labour Employed–which is issued by the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association.
Those 40K child labour statistics are all old. Now the cracker industry is free from child labour.
‘…..Diwali is also about celebrating in other ways than making a loud noise and ruckus.’
Anita, you gotta be a little realistic. Try telling kids the above…it just doesn’t cut any ice with them! At least, my kids, for sure!
Still, Happy Diwali to you, our author fraternity and all our readers here at MB!
Noise level above 75 decibles is said to cause serious hearing and neuarological problems. Deafening and loud noise from firecrackers no doubt causes lot of inconvenience to sick people, heart and neuro patients in particular. Hence avoidable.
Diwali noise is only a one day affair in 365 days in a year. There are many other kinds of highly disturbing noise pollution people face from early morning till late night all through the year and year after year.
The places where we stay would be that much peaceful and livable, if the same kind of awareness is shown to other forms of noise pollution. It should start from each individual.