A Diwali without fireworks seems incomplete and several people in the city have already started bursting crackers ahead of the festival. However, many feel that the festival of lights and prosperity has turned into a festival of noise, accidents and pollution. Rahul Reddy, founder of the Octopus Foundation and a theatre artist, feels that bursting crackers is not part of the festival and can be done away with for the sake of the environment and animals. “Diwali is a festival of lights and not noise and pollution. However, many feel that bursting crackers is a part of our tradition. We need to be environment and animal friendly. Even if it is a part of our tradition, we need to get rid of it,” he says.
Another firm believer of this ideology is Ishan Rai, a student of BITS Pilani Hyderabad. Says Ishan, “We can stick to the tradition by performing puja and lighting diyas. I don’t think there would have been any crackers when Lord Ram came back to Ayodhya. We need to give the environment importance and not burst crackers.” Others feel that bursting crackers is an integral part of Diwali celebrations and since pollution occurs on a daily basis, it is unfair to target a festival which lasts for just one day. Also, to avoid noise pollution, they suggest crackers like golchakris and phooljharis, which do not produce any sound.
“Fire is an element known to purify things. Bursting firecrackers is a way of cleansing negativity and pessimism of any kind in a person’s life. On July 4th, so many crackers are burst in the US, on the occasion of their Independence Day, but nobody talks about it. Diwali is not just a festival of lights, but also sound,” says Kaali Sudheer, a city-based art curator. Ramesh Loganathan, head of the Progess Software’s Hyderabad lab, feels that many people do not know why crackers are burst and hence oppose the centuries-old tradition.
“I love bursting crackers. This is a very old practice, which we cannot stop all of a sudden. It’s not just about celebration, but also has religious values. People who feel that we should stop bursting crackers should first talk to religious scholars to understand the meaning of it,” he says. Tollywood actor Nikhil Siddhartha feels that although people cannot just stop bursting crackers on Diwali, it is important that they set a limit, keeping the environment in mind. “Anything done in excess is bad. A lot of people burst crackers in competition. Instead, people living in a society can gather at one place and burst crackers. By doing this, they can celebrate Diwali together and there will be less pollution, too,” says Nikhil.
