I heard Jaspal Bhatti, a well known comedian, say that Diwali is the ‘festival of corruption’. The officials are bribed in the garb of Diwali gifts, he says.
I say Diwali is more injurious than just that. It creates problems of air and sound pollution, contributes to child labour, makes life hell for the birds, brings economic class differences blatantly out in the open and most importantly acts as a perfect pretext for the businesses to create hype and sell their products.
You would be forgiven for thinking that I’m a spoilt sport who does not enjoy the festival that the media claim is being enjoyed by the whole nation. Well, you might be right. At the same time I shall stick to my stand Diwali is unnecessarily over done.
You must have guessed by now that I’m not very religious. Therefore, as I understand it, festivals are occasions to get together and spend some memorable time with your loved ones, which you are otherwise denied of in this busy world. So why would you want to spend it in a din with anxiety about the safety of the people you care for?
Let’s look at the objections one by one. Pollution: it needs very little explanation. My mother is an asthma patient and I know how many precautions she’s got to take in the run up to the festival. Most researchers, today, talk in one voice about the dangers of global warming and depleting ozone layer. Why would anyone want to contribute to it?
Even on a normal day, our cities are a din, and it would not be wrong if I said that people have not understood the real danger of noise pollution yet.
Commuting on the days of the festival is a nightmare. What about the people in hospitals or have to go to one? Birds have become a rare sight in the cities due to their changing architecture and lifestyle. Diwali literally is a death call for millions of our avian friends.
Most of you might think I’m overreacting. But my main objection is that it has become a classic example of what might happen if the media join hands with commercial interests that are- business, trade and commerce. It could be a fatal combination. The media tell you what to buy, how much to spend et al.
For instance, Cadbury Celebrations pack makes your diwali complete. For most people it is a battle between the aspiration and the inability to buy products.
You might say that this is true of most festivals these days. Point taken. I think it comes out starkly in the festival of goddess Laxmi.
Most middle class families end up saving money in the run up to the festival and usually spend more than they have saved. The figures prove that there is an increase in the loan rates during the festive season. Sweets, dry fruits, clothing and, not to forget, the firecrackers are the essentials on every person’s shopping list. Sometimes it is uncalled for.
Well, I will not be surprised if I get some extreme reactions to my extreme thoughts!
Raksha Kumar
5 comments:
hey its not ur wierd thought..
just a concern towards nature and people around us whoom we love...
and government is taking more precautions as it ahs banned brusting of crackers afetr 10 pm. and many people do celebrate their diwali by ust doing pooja and brusting small crackers and enjoy being together...
I too feel the same. It's all hyped now.
Thanks Appu, for agreeing to the point. But there was a story on NDTV that it is a myth that crackers will kill musquitos. So may be its not proved.
Gangadhar, I think it is not a matter of just two or three days. It is a matter of principles. We should decide to be environmentally aware.
True,Shruti, I agree with all that you said. But we all know that government bans don't work.
Thanks equilibrium, you were the only person who caught the HYPE bit. its more than just pollution.
all said... and at least something done!....
this is a classical case wherein, we are after the 'evolved' practices and have got rid of the interests and principles behind it!!...
just to take this debate to earlier times, What had crackers to do with diwali - the festival of lights??!!
Probably, when the festival was being celebrated in the earlier times, you may note, this was an unique one due to it's celebration in the nights! with this, naturally came up it's association with lamps.
I may get further technical here, but interesting is to note that Diwali is observed during the last weeks of October of the First weeks of November. That is, when the nights are longest during the year!! At times, when no electricity was invented, pooling together and lighting up the lamps provided an appropriate illumination and a source of entertainment for the colony. Added to this was the lean period for farmers and artisans who would have just completed their respective share of work during this time of the year. This was a source of entertainment after a hectic hard working season.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that, all these very 'practical' aspects coupled with the ever present spiritual mindsets of our anscestors gave birth to Diwali - The festival of lights!! Thanks to their undisputed sense of timing during an year!
Now, coming back to the point in quest!.... it's said that a single picture will suffice a thousand words.. Indeed, even our anscestors tried to do the same. Behind every festival they celebrated, they demonstrated the practicality, appropriateness and importance of it hoping that the generations to come will understand the real motto behind it. But, as it happens in any sort of communication, the objective was left behind only to carry the 'cosmetic' puprose of it!!
Sadly we are now in THIS era!!... the era of rocking hip-hop and global glamour!!.... And how can one expect the festival from being far from nuisance!
All not lost though, people are getting aware enough to 'renounce' the crackers and celebrate the festival in a more 'meaningful' way (not just due to the soaring costs of crackers!).
I never burst crackers after my 7th grade!...... I have seen my friends, collegues participating in social services 'specially' during such festivities and also silently carrying out their 'battle' against the 'crackers'! Also we have rebels [like.. err... you know who??!! :-)] who have not hesitated to 'voice' their global concerns!!
These may be different ways, but are several tributaries to achieve the mainstream interests and address the concern.
Start with this and let the awareness spread across the global issues like pollution, global warming and etc. Today, the "Crackers of Diwali" are just representing the tip of an iceberg of our nudge with the menace!!
Before my comments become any longer than the blog itself!, I put down my pen here thanking Raksha for initiating this 'BIG FIGHT' (?!!)....
"I had a great Idea this morning, but.... I didn't like it!!" - 18th century Anonymous Authour.
phew! thanks Vinay for this BIG comment. I agree that there was a purpose for the festivals and we do not know about it. But over the years even these purposes change along with the times.
What do you say?
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