Going Crackers

Balajee · Nov 4, 2021

Few years ago , couple of nephews landed at my place on Deepawali day and immediately started looking for spmething.

"What do you want" the daughters asked them. "Crackers" came the reply. The look of horror that came on their faces would have given anyone the suspicion that they were looking at Count Dracula or at last a ghost.

"But it is tradition" blurted out the elder one. Sure, said the daughter, there were crackers when Rama returned from Ayodhya and people burst them to welcome him.

"And Narakasura when he died got a boon from Krishna that people will pollute the atmosphere by bursting cracmkers to to commemorate his death", I made my own contribution.

The bous didn't say anything but their eyes screamed BLASPHEMY.

I was reminded of this incident while watching a TV debate yesterday on crackers. . (I suspect I have a masochistic streak to watch such stuff.) " What will happen to Sivakasi if you ban crackers? It will die" said a participant (spokesman for fireworks manufacturers), adopting the mien of a tragic-dramatic actor

And what will happen to the rest of the country gasping under very poor and critical aie quality? Of course, the fireworks guy didn't mention that.

Another participant , a champion of Hindu right, argued that there must be some compromise between environment and tradition. You want to go by tradition? Then burning widows on poyres and human sacrifice are also traditions. Why don;t you revive them too? "Tradition" is a vague term that could provide a camoflauge for a whole lot of unsavoury activities, that could harm the society and environment.

An environmental activist shut our champion of "tradition" that if banning crackers is anti-Hindu then closing of templesduring lockdown must be construed as anti-Hindu too, Will ge then consider the present ruling dispensation to be anti-Hindu. That shut our Bhakt up.

Deepawali has long ceased to be the festival of light. It is a festival of noise and aid pollutikon and bulgar consumerism. You buy new clothes for the festival even if your wardrobe is bursting at the seams, "Tradition: dictates that you guy a new vesse; or pressure cooker or some electronic goods even if you don;t need them.

And some people believe Deepawali increases their kids' general knowledge. Yesterday evening, a neighbout was bursting crackrs. When the daughter tickrf the lady off she said sheepishly: "If we don't burst crackers the kids will not eve know what they are". On a need to know scale, crackers don't figure at all.
Also there is this "tradition" that if you gamble on this day you would please Goddess Lakshmi. Apparently if you go bankrupe gambling, Goddess Lakshmi will take pity on you and shower you with wealth.

Another hilarious practice is the Tamil equiivalent of Happy Diwali. "Ganga Snanam achcha (Have you had a bath in Ganges?), The traditional early morning oil bath is considered bathing i the "holy" river. " TRadition" of course. Yuck! no thanks I don't want a bath in Gnga, even an imaginary one. The river's too polluted despite hundreds of crores being spent on cleaning it. Heaven knows into whose coffers the money has gon.e.

We not only burst crackers we also go crackers in the name of tradition.

Viswamitra · Nov 4, 2021

Dear Balajee,

Don't worry. PM Modi has promised to become net zero by 2070 and you keep praying for a long life to experience fresh air. All you need to do is to live for another 49 years. Besides, you need to continue to pray that no other traditional methods are introduced during this period. You also need to pray that when Modi achieves net zero, he shouldn't be celebrated as Ram for achieving net zero with bursting of crackers. Who knows, by then, the capital of India could be moved to Ayodhya and if you need to celebrate net zero along with PM Modi, you may have to take a trip.

umaakumar · Nov 4, 2021

Dear Mr Balajee,
I read your post just now. This morning when I called my sister, we were discussing the issue of crackers.
She has 3 dogs and 2 cats. You can imagine how scared these animals are. For almost 25 years our families have not bought crackers.
Our children too as we always had dogs, understood what a pain it is to our pets, did not ask for any.
Now a days, in schools they are advised not to spoil the environment and not to buy crackers.
Still most people do. Even if children don't want it, the elders say it is tradition.
Regards
Uma

HariLakhera · Nov 5, 2021

Sivakasi is already dead, out-priced by China. I am more worried about China. Yesterday we went to buy crackers and all items available were marked Made in China. I am worried because if we stop using their crckers, they may crack their anger on us. They have already occupied some of our lands, but never mind, all that is inhabitable, and the Government is relieved of spending money for maintaining the same. The country is already passing thru difficult times.

Balajee · Nov 5, 2021

umaakumar said: ↑

Dear Mr Balajee,
I read your post just now. This morning when I called my sister, we were discussing the issue of crackers.
She has 3 dogs and 2 cats. You can imagine how scared these animals are. For almost 25 years our families have not bought crackers.
Our children too as we always had dogs, understood what a pain it is to our pets, did not ask for any.
Now a days, in schools they are advised not to spoil the environment and not to buy crackers.
Still most people do. Even if children don't want it, the elders say it is tradition.
Regards
Uma
Click to expand...

Three dogs and two cats> I have four dogs nd 11 (rpt 11_ cats at home! Imagine their plight! Bursting crackers is an act of criminal insensitivity a lack of concern for othr living creatures. As a child my dughter used to be very fond of fireworks but then in her schoolk they impressed upon her that bursting crackers would not only poison the environment and harm animals but were made by pooor kids who otherwise would have gone to school instead of being child labourers. She has not only not burst a single cracker since then but when our neighbours do, she goes and lectures them,This year our colony was unusually silent with a vast majority of people abstaining from crackers. Though a neighbouring locality of Delhi ( We live in NOIDA blasted our eardrums off with a vengeance despite there beinbg a complete ban on crackers. If rule breaking is an Olympic sport Indians will win a gold medal.