Seize, destroy Chinese crackers, Madras High Court orders
The petitioner said the association has been functioning in Chennai for 12 years
By : p. arul
Update: 2015-10-17 06:43 GMT
Chennai: Barely a month before Diwali, the festival of lights, the Madras High court directed the state government to form squads to prevent sale of illegal Chinese crackers.
Justice N. Kirubakaran, before whom a writ petition filed by Chennai metro fireworks dealers association represented by its executive secretary, M. Shaik Abdulah, came up for hearing, said that separate squads shall be formed to seize Chinese crackers, prevent the distribution, selling of Chinese crackers and also destroy them.
The petitioner said the association has been functioning in Chennai for 12 years. The association members have their shops in George Town area and are engaged in selling crackers manufactured in Sivakasi. Following an earlier Madras High Court order, the cracker shops were moved temporary shed in Island Ground a few year ago.
He said "We were affected by illegal import crackers from China, which was indirectly supported by some officials". The CBI has been investigating into the matter of illegal import of Chinese crackers. He sought direction to the authorities to allocate space for the association in the Island Ground on War Memorial side and to construct permanent market place for selling crackers manufactured in Sivakasi.
The judge said, taking into consideration import of clearance of crackers illegally and without any permission into the country, the Madurai bench had directed the central and state governments to take appropriate action to prevent the illegal import of banned Chinese crackers, which were destroying the cottage industries in the country.
The Madurai bench had also directed the CBI as well as the government to raid the places where Chinese crackers are stored, distributed and sold. It also directed to seize and destroy them.
The Judge further said "who are the members of the team, how many squads will be formed, shall be intimated by the state government to this court on Oct. 26. While impleading DGP, Commissioner of Police, Joint controller of explosives as respondents, the judge posted the matter to Oct. 26 for further hearing.
No wrapping fireworks in pictures of deities
This Deepavali your favourite 'Lakshmi vedi' will no longer be wrapped in colourful labels carrying pictures of Goddess Lakshmi on them. The fireworks manufacturers may have to settle for symbols that are not sacred, as the Government has banned the use of such prints to package crackers and fireworks.
Bowing to strong pleas by some Hindu outfits, the administration has ordered that pictures of deities "will not be used to wrap crackers" on a directive from the Virdhunagar district authorities, where Sivakasi and its environs is a major hub of the crackers and fireworks industry in India, also termed 'kutti Japan' which now faces threats from cheaper Chinese crackers.
The District Revenue officer (DRO) has sent a circular to the Tamil Nadu Fire Cracker Manufacturers Association (TNFCMA) not to use labels with the pictures of deities for wrapping crackers, an official press release said here on Friday, well ahead of this year' festival season.
The Virdhunagar district collector V Rajaraman said the 'Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHMB)'s Tamil Nadu unit had made a request to ban use of labels with pictures of deities as it had hurt the sentiments of a section of the people.
Various Hindu outfits, including Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHMB) had earlier urged the authorities to enforce the ban as these wrappers were seen blown to smithereens every time a powerful cracker like the 'Lakshmi vedi' is burst at festivals and even temple processions and scattered on the roads.
People, unwittingly, step on the tattered pictures of deities as they walk on the roads and finally "these are dumped in waste bins, which was an act of "sacrilege", the Hindu group had said.
Crackers with names of various Hindu deities have been in the market for more than two decades, besides pictures of several deities were used as wrappers for crackers. G Abiruben,
TNFCMA President told reporters that the cracker industry would strictly follow the instructions of the authorities and would not hurt the sentiments of any section. He maintained that the pictures with deities were being used since 1924.
Going by the same logic, pictures of sparrows on 'Kuruvi Vedis' may now come under pressure by bird lovers, even as replica of the 'Red Fort' in New Delhi on another popular brand of cracker might have to be replaced, as that too might be considered offensive to certain other sections. The ABHMB's demand might imply more than it had perhaps asked for.