In India’s current media-driven urban society, almost everything is becoming a political issue. Television thrives on debates and debates can be only interesting if they are built around some controversy. So many times, we see the media, especially television media promoting some controversy or the other so that they can add spice to their content.
The latest such issue which is being driven by media, as well as some political leaders, is the ban on the sale of firecrackers by the Supreme Court of India in the National Capital Region’s geographic territory this festive season.
Successive petitions in court gave date about how the level of air and noise pollution in Delhi cross the World Health Organisation’s hazard limits by six or seven times. Experts such as renowned cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan have described how breathing the air during Diwali season in Delhi is like smoking hundreds of cigarettes every day.
Yet some leaders such as Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray have now made it a political issue by saying that the courts are restricting only Hindu festivals and not doing anything about the festivals of other religions.
Every Hindu festival has some specific significance with thousands of years of traditions behind it. Just as Holi is a festival of colours, Diwali is a festival of lights. Diwali has nothing to do with firecrackers. Firecrackers were invented in China and have no connection with Hindu tradition in history beyond last few decades. There is nothing Hindu about firecrackers!
Some elements with vested political interest are currently trying to claim that bursting of firecrackers is synonymous with Diwali and its part of the Hindu tradition. This claim is wrong and must be opposed. It is obviously being done with an intention of whipping up communal passions and playing the victim card to instigate Hindus.
Hindus have always taken lead in social reforms and in changing traditions according to the changing needs of the society and the environment.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis needs to be congratulated for the initiative he took to connect with thousands of school children in the state to give them a pledge to not use firecrackers this Diwali and care for the environment. He and Education Minister Vinod Tawde initiated the campaign to create awareness among young minds about the ill effects of noise and air pollution caused by firecrackers.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and some others have to show wider concern about the health hazard to children and citizens and the damage caused to the environment instead of making it a political issue. Firecrackers must be dissociated from Hindu traditions and merely seen as a hazard.
