[KMT]

When the honourable courts are dishing out anti pollution laws they forget noise pollution from religious institutions blaring throught the year.

I wonder when courts will do something about that.

[luvDriving]

Well its a mixed situation for me. I suffer from asthma and so the fumes do mean no crackers for me. My daughter is just plain afraid of crackers for no for her too.

But my in-laws come over with their share of the crackers and light them up in our terrace. We have the top floor of our building to ourselves and we have a 800 sqft terrace which is big enough to burn away some money

Regarding pollution and the enforced ban on sale of fire crackers, I am of the opinion that this must be extended to cover all sources of pollution rather than limit it to just 1 day in Diwali festival. Only then will it make any sense.

[VineetG]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Voted "No".

I also do not understand the concept of "joy in bursting crackers" when it all means a roll of paper with chemicals in it explodes which generates noise and light. I also do not believe in "we-have-it-on-our-culture-so-we-have-to" mindset as I believe in what is practical and makes sense.

Adding to your list,

I also do not understand the joy of a roll of paper filled with tobacco, a known carcinogen and pollutant, but still millions and millions of people use it. And the smoke goes in the atmosphere, multiple times, if a person smokes say a pack a day.

But still, cigarettes are not banned.

I would like to say that for most of us, including myself, we believe in practicality and sensibility (assuming that these two words are taken in context of facts and science) only if it is convenient to us or suits our likes or dislikes.

I am also a culprit of many times choosing my convenience over concerns of others. And i am sure most of us have done it some time or the other.

I would be hard pressed to believe if someone says that they have always put the concerns of other above their own convenience.

Rgds

[AltoLXI]

We tend to go down the slippery slope when we start comparing the cracker ban with the banning of sunfilm on cars, banning of liquor sale on highways or arguing that when there is vehicular/industrial pollution how much will bursting the crackers affect the environment?

No cultural or traditional practice is set in stone for everybody to follow to the hilt - any culture. With changing times, practices will have to change depending on the circumstances at that time.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by DCEite

One needs to be in Delhi-NCR the days after Diwali festival. Only such person can appreciate this ban in true sense.

We need to wait and see if this ban will be appreciable or not since the Diwali festival under the blanket of firecracker ban is yet to pass.

PS - I will not wonder if there will be no or major improvement in pollution levels after Diwali even with this ban in place.

[abhi7013]

When responsibilities come our way, we take the quickest route and start the blame game. Let the government do this, do that.
Please plant a seed of maturity in your kids this diwali by making them aware of what crackers do. We need to make them aware and be prepared for the worst that's going to hit them when they are our age!
How can they understand pollution and most importantly, handle it, if they aren't realising what crackers are doing. Look at all the terrified animals around.
Your conscious too knows there's nothing that can be achieved other than pollution and wastage of money!

And its about time we ditch the culture based argument. We are all humans and clinging to religion and culture will just bring us down hard.

If you are so bothered about religion and culture, try learning our history, scripts, etc and passing them to the next generation. For this people aren't bothered about culture and religion. But its the first thing you want to use to defend usage of crackers.. Heights!

The entire concept of diwali and other such festivals is flawed thanks to our limited knowledge! Heck, i know people who don't even celebrate new year, but they do so on the hindu calendar's new year! Westernisation has indeed cost us dearly.

First we lost the Gurukula system. Then slowly, our entire lifestyle to a less efficient one. Our ancestors would really be proud!

Crackers have to be banned on all days of the year than only on a few select dates. That way, there won't be negativity as people of only one ethnic group won't feel triggered!

[V.Narayan]

Well the SC seems to be having its way and standing firm. The question is not about crackers or pollution. In my view it is whether the SC is trampling on a citizens right to celebrate his/her religion in his/her own way? If the SC or Govt are concerned about pollution then take the 10 steps needed in that direction not a single microscopic 1/365th step. On the other hand if the SC is concerned about India's ways of celebrating her festivals going amuck - bursting crackers, killing goats, loudspeakers, et al - then ban all for all creeds. Why the selectiveness is the question in my mind.

Please think with a calm mind if the SC of USA could ever ban killing of turkeys at their Thanks Giving & Christmas festivities? We have judicial over reach rapidly growing in India because of the space vacated by the executive and legislature due to their incomplete sense of responsibility and ownership. My traditional views on this matter will irk many with a more liberal mind set. But we are a nation of 1300 million and the views of the SC does not represent the sensitivities of at least a significant part of that 1300 million.

[Storm2.0]

I will burn crackers this Diwali. Though I am against
I am against burning those high decibel bombs and the bunch of thousand 'laddis' which causes immense smoke and noise. I think basic firecrackers like a flowerpot, chakra , simple rockets and sparklers are fine. They look beautiful and and add the much needed bling to Diwali apart from diyas and lights. These basic firecrackers don't cause much disturbance to the society.

[Mad Max]

Every Diwali, this argument surfaces. The next week, it dies down. Shows how much this debate is actually important to those who oppose it.

It's one day a year. That's it. Period. I can understand the sentiment and probable illnesses etc. It doesn't change anything. There were people with worse asthma when we were kids, right? We ALL had pets back then, right? We were fully aware of the problems as well. It's just because social media is an easy way to vent and popularize a niche stance, that we start hearing about these things.

The folks arguing about the pollution, I'll fully expect each of you to drive electric vehicles, run your homes on non-fossil fuel based energy sources and have a zero waste lifestyle. If not, you don't have the right to talk about the one day when an entire nation celebrates.

Would it be ok if you went to the USA and told their major cities that they can't do a fireworks display on July 4th? USA is one of the top polluting nations. And they know that this one day doesn't make even a slight mark on the level. Yes, what you SEE is different. Lots of smoke, smell etc. Even our morning pujas generate enough smoke from the fire.

Pollution isn't just what you see. It's all about what if affects. Let's not try to vandalize the one day we do this for enjoyment and put everything else in the back-burner. It's fashionable nowadays to complain about things and then not take action. And I also see that our judiciary and political systems are playing to the new voices of social media but with absolutely no reason in some cases like this one.

[trek]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

The folks arguing about the pollution, I'll fully expect each of you to drive electric vehicles, run your homes on non-fossil fuel based energy sources and have a zero waste lifestyle. If not, you don't have the right to talk about the one day when an entire nation celebrates.

Would it be ok if you went to the USA and told their major cities that they can't do a fireworks display on July 4th? USA is one of the top polluting nations. And they know that this one day doesn't make even a slight mark on the level. Yes, what you SEE is different. Lots of smoke, smell etc. Even our morning pujas generate enough smoke from the fire.

Nothing is 100%. A lot of people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint in a lot of ways, they have all the right to comment on this issue. It's the intent to improve the environment that matters not just blindly following 'culture' norms'.

And how does it matter what US does or does not? This ain't a competition.

I think people ought to have the sensibilities themselves to not create more pollution in the name of festivities. Diwali can be equally beautiful with lights and family time minus the obnoxious loud cracker busting 'rituals'.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by trek

And how does it matter what US does or does not? This ain't a competition.
.

Agree with you. I do not know why USA should be a benchmark for everything under the sun. Though I agree that R and D done there cannot be matched by any other countries, comparing everything we do /ought to do with what USA does just does not inspire confidence that we Indians have some original thinking. Why not ask "Why can't we do something better than USA?"

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Agree with you. I do not know why USA should be a benchmark for everything under the sun. Though I agree that R and D done there cannot be matched by any other countries, comparing everything we do /ought to do with what USA does just does not inspire confidence that we Indians have some original thinking. Why not ask "Why can't we do something better than USA?"

Absolutely!! Why can't we do something better than the USA? Let's start with the major things like vehicle pollution, garbage segregation, waste disposal and recycling and personal waste management. Let's do it BETTER than anyone else. Can we say what we have today is at least in line with other emerging economies? I'd suspect not.

But singling out one festivity just because it's an easy target is uncalled for. My comparison was on the nature of importance of the festival. In the US, its 4th of July and in India, it's Diwali. That's where the comparison stops.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

.......We have judicial over reach rapidly growing in India because of the space vacated by the executive and legislature due to their incomplete sense of responsibility and ownership. My traditional views on this matter will irk many with a more liberal mind set......

Unwilling to delve into the cracker topic (I've been cracker-free for two decades but won't presume to tell anyone else what (not) to do), but the excerpt from your post above is exactly what we need to fix.

The entire executive/legislative agenda has turned into a 'your guy vs. my guy' argument, where everyone gets elected promising they'll be different, then acts the exact same way as everyone else, using the 'you tolerated the other guy for X years, so why cry about me?' excuse until the musical chairs puts someone else in the hot seat. Repeat ad infinitum.

Our pollution nightmare and our policy paralysis are both very real issues, and everyone whose job it is to fix this (properly and holistically, not with knee-jerk half-measures), is sitting around twiddling thumbs, complaining about overreach or some other ultimately irrelevant nonsense. The courts won't need to be vigilantes if the idiots with the constitutional authority to fix stuff did their jobs.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Unwilling to delve into the cracker topic (I've been cracker-free for two decades but won't presume to tell anyone else what (not) to do), but the excerpt from your post above is exactly what we need to fix.

By the way the signature you have is fully relevant to our last couple of posts on this thread. For readers who are wondering the signature reads 'who will watch the watchers'. I too have not burnt crackers for about 5 years now mainly because the kids have grown up. Now I will restart after the grand kids come!!

Our pollution nightmare and our policy paralysis are both very real issues, and everyone whose job it is to fix this (properly and holistically, not with knee-jerk half-measures), is sitting around twiddling thumbs, complaining about overreach or some other ultimately irrelevant nonsense. The courts won't need to be vigilantes if the idiots with the constitutional authority to fix stuff did their jobs

Absolutely. Couldn't agree more. To be fair to our Courts they are often the last resort for the common man against a bureaucracy that is indifferent or worse. I for one have been a beneficiary of this wisdom and firmness. But we do have judicial vigilantism (good) and over reach (bad) due to the executive and legislature not holding up.

[vinukm]

I have not burnt crackers myself for last 2o+ years, Instead i spend some money towards clothes for some poor kids from last 5 + years.