The reality behind the “Joy of Diwali”.

Anyone who has ever experienced the Festival of Lights in India knows that it is the time of the year when the entire country is in a transport of joy and delight. Homes are decorated with beautiful rangolis and lit up with vibrant lights and diyas. Everyone is celebrating the spiritual victory of light over darkness. But does Diwali bring the same exultation for everyone? Or are we so dominated by this Victory of light that we are ready to burn millions of childhood just for the visuality of this luster?

The celebration of Diwali marks Lord Ram’s victory over the evil as he returns home after a 14-year exile. It is a festival of traditions: Lighting up diyas, embellishing houses with flowers and rangolis that are a delight to the eyes, visiting relatives to exchange sweets and gifts, and preparing delicacies for everyone, are some to name a few. These are followed because they bring joy to the people but dismally there is another “Tradition” people follow which is to do with the burning of firecrackers.

So first let us understand what are firecrackers? Why are they in so much demand? And why are they harmful. To point out the literal meaning- a firecracker is an explosive with a fuse, which when lit, bursts with a loud noise and sometimes emits light. Moving forward, to give a brief account on the usage of firecrackers: It is said that fire ignites our “dreams and anxieties” and speaks to us “in a language more basic than thought”.Fire is not only considered sacred, and formidable but fire is also enduringly entertaining in its pyrotechnical avatars. And hence firecrackers are considered to be an important component of the Festival of Lights. This explains the popular demand for this detrimental item. Now finally let’s understand why are they harmful and what are its after-effects. Firecrackers cause extensive air pollution in a short span of time, leaving harmful particles, metal pieces, and toxins that degrade the environment. Exposure to such dangerous toxins cause health problems such as wheezing, cough, asthma attacks, and in some even heart attacks. The unpredictable and loud nature of the firecrackers causes high levels of discomfort in dogs making them feel trapped and attacked. So as you can notice, one single firecracker causes so much harm to the environment in so many different ways.

Understanding the adverse effects of the product we now know that it is injurious to health but most of us yet choose to ignore the consequences it follows, simply because it doesn’t cause us any discomfort presently. But by using firecrackers we are not only putting the future of the planet at risk but wrecking the lives of millions of people presently. So lets us see how?

In India specifically, the illegal firecracker industry is much larger than the legal firecracker industry. And most of these factories being illegal hire children and women to work for the manufacture of firecrackers. According to the reports, more than 1 lakh children are involved in the illegal firecracker factories. Exposure to firecrackers means exposure to harmful toxins which causes irreversible damage to both their physical and mental health. Physically they are prone to life-threatening problems such a lung and heart damages. Accidents in such factories are a death toll for lakhs of people. And needless to say, the children working in such factories have scarred childhoods. In the age of getting the education, they deserve they are working in “Death Factories” for the mere show of light and happiness in someone else’s life.

How would you like to see someone you love in this same position? I’m assuming it not to be the best thing in the world. Assuredly, seeing someone we love, be it our mother or our children in one of these “Death Factories” would change our perception toward using this detrimental object. These children and women too are loved by their families and are as much part of this world as we are. They deserve the same love and compassion as we would show to our family. They deserve a shot at education and a chance to live a better and meaningful life and you and I are coming in the way of that, we are seizing someone else’s happiness for our own. And we do not have the right to do this. Our need for lusture and entertainment for a single night can not cost someone else their childhood and the others their lives. We were all created as equals and we should treat each other like it.

So as dejected as this sounds, the reality behind Diwali-The celebration of the spiritual victory of light over darkness, is definitely not the same for everyone. Some people are lighting their houses while the others get burnt in this celebration. Let us take a step towards putting an end to this heinous tradition, this diwali try something new, instead of buying firecrackers use that amount to bring joy in the life of someone who cannot afford to do so. Let us become the reason for brightening someones life instead of burning it. Go by the slogan “ Deep Jalakar Diwali Manaye Bachpan Jalakar Nahi”. Try this and fullfill the meaning of Spritual victory of light over darkness. This Diwali contribute in ending child labour and reducing pollution by preventing the usage of crackers. And I assure you, this celebration will give you true delight!