Going Crackers

In the halcyon days of my childhood, the words like “pollution” were almost non-existent except in a religious sense . People used to get paranoid about imaginary pollutants that could sabotage religious rites. ”Environment” too was a word that was a bit too long for us innocents to understand.


So during n Deepavali we merrily burst crackers and lit sparklers ignoring few spoilsports like my dad who grumbled about money morphing into charcoal and all those fumes.


But we had staunch supporters like my mom who had one single Tamil word to counter any argument that she considered irreligious:”Sastram”, which roughly translated meant “it is enjoined in the scriptures” or to use the single word that conservatives use . to stymie any reform ‘TRADITION”.


Mom said the demon Narakasura had requested Lord Krishna before dying that the day he was slain by Krishna should be co0mmemorated with bursting of crackers. Not to do so was blasphemy she said.


The next door Punju auntie concurred with her and said Rama was received in Ayodhya with fireworks when he returned there after slaying Ravana. So to mark the occasion there must be fireworks .


When dad talked about fumes, my mom had a clinching argument that silenced him:”You are a chain smoker and you are talking about harmful effect of fumes? First stop smoking g before lecturing us on fumes”.


Even years later ,when environmental awareness has gone up by leaps and bounds and people have realized that pollution was not just a religious issue but a secular air and noise pollution too , many still yell “:tradition” when someone talks about bursting of crackers adding to air and noise pollution. That was the word my next door neighbour used when we protested their bursting of high-decibel crackers on Dussehra.


With such a mindset widespread, it puzzles me how the Supreme Court judgement banning high decibel and high emission crackers and restricting of fireworks time from eight in the evening to ten in the night in Delhi and National Capital region (NCR) is goin g to be implemented


The problem is pull of the so-called tradition is very strong. Remember the SC’s recent ruling allowing women in the menstruating age group to enter the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple? What happened there? Tradition won hands down and a handful of women in that particular age group were prevented from entering the temple as the state watched helplessly.


The Delhi-NCR region is reeling under an extremely high level of pollution. Every resident i the area inhales enough toxic air per day equivalent to smoking of eight cigarettes. We could do nicely without the fireworks making a sterling contribution to pollution, with fumes and high decibel levels.


It is very easy to make a law or pass a judgement. The problem crops up with implementation. Decades after law against child marriage was passed we have seen proud parents posing before TV cameras with child grooms and brides in their laps. What is law of the land in front of hoary tradition?


I suspect the SC judgement on fireworks is going to meet the same fate. More of breach than of observance.


Sabarimala or Deepavali or child marriage we need to change in a large scale the blind adherence to tradition or just to the use of the word “Tradition” to justify any kid of dangerous, irresponsible nonsense. Until then, any number of Supreme Court judgements will remain only on paper.


Efforts of course are being made at school level onwards to make kids eschew fireworkss. Many schools make their pupils take a pledge that they won’t burst crackers. Probably that is working. In my area on Dussehra it was the adults who burst crackers and the kids remained indifferent to them..


These grownups, they never grow up, do they?

 

Rihana there's a mountain of difference between fireworks display at an Asian games or Olympic ceremony. and Diwali crackers In such a function a handful of people display spectacular fireworks ,most of it is emission free and barely lasts an hour or two. During Diwali and the days precedence g and following it toxic gases into atmosphere besides adding to the noise pollution. In areas like Delhi and NCR, the pollution is already a serious problem.It is necessary to check fireworks from maki g a further contribution to it.

 

Wow Cheeniya sir, if someone offers me the job of the God who is worshiped through fireworks I wouldn't take it. Such noise is unbearable. Difficult? It is is going to be impossible to to enforce tree law.I don't think the government is even going to try to enforce the law.