[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Gansan

...even those who had stopped buying crackers are now deliberately buying and firing them...The government,courts and corporates should realize too much sermonizing and admonishing during diwali is getting them the opposite results. Better to stop and rethink their strategy. And cut down the overactive "social reformers" to size..

True.

Remember when I was in high school, we had grown bored of playing with crackers. Never really liked the sound making (atom bomb, samosa thingy) ones and also hated the ones that made more smoke than lights. Was slowly thinking of celebrating with just the usual sweets and Deepawali special foods.

Lo and behold, around the same time, there was a seemingly concerted effort on all mainstream media and social media platforms, including corporates and NGOs targeting the whole festival. Ranging from mild stuff like, 'light a diya, not crackers' to full blown stuff like showing whimpering dogs or putting the whole blame of global warming on Deepawali. Less said about the jet-set, yacht touring celebrities and their pet love. Guess what. We revenge bought crackers twice the amount that we usually do and contributed our lil' bit to the polar caps.

Agree that the scenario might be severe in some urban places in North India or there is the menace of neighbourhood kids bursting crackers at midnight or even the whole week. But c'mon. There is a limit to being at the receiving end of condescending behaviour.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by am1m

I don't think firecrackers have anything to do with religion. All of us friends from different religions used to enjoy bursting crackers with equal enthusiasm. We've stopped not because we belong or don't belong to a particular faith but because we've become old and can't handle the noise and smoke anymore.

If the admonishing and preaching happens only during Diwali, it has everything to do with religion. Crackers are burst during so many other occasions too, to a lesser extent. Especially if the admonishment takes a mocking tone, and comes from a few you know whos of Bollywood, people will buy double the quantity.

Originally Posted by am1m

But I guess ultimately they and their children too have to breathe that same air. Well, if they're ok with it and making a statement is worth that, then fair enough.

Don't they know it? They are not illiterate. They are defiant and giving a message. They also think already me and my kid are inhaling so much of other stuff, a little more for one day does not make a big difference.

[arunramaswamy]

Can we expect our Honorable courts to limit the number of animals killed for human consumption?

Atleast crackers are burst once a year. But animals are slaughtered round the year for human consumption. Both as food and for making fashion apparels. I really do not see any of these goddamn guys (celebrities) uttering a word on animal cruelty.

I burst crackers the entire day and had lots of fun with my kids. Pollution be damned!!!

[arakhanna]

Originally Posted by arunramaswamy

Can we expect our Honorable courts to limit the number of animals killed for human consumption?

Atleast crackers are burst once a year. But animals are slaughtered round the year for human consumption. Both as food and for making fashion apparels. I really do not see any of these goddamn guys (celebrities) uttering a word on animal cruelty.

I burst crackers the entire day and had lots of fun with my kids. Pollution be damned!!!

Fully concur with your views.

My kids just started understanding crackers. My son aged 4 had an absolute great time and so did I. My daughter is yet reticent but i am sure she would come around eventually. Great bonding time along with major reminiscing on times of yore. I guess i went overboard in purchasing crackers and now have to burst the left overs today. Fun times Indeed. Next year should be even better hoping that COVID impact further reduces and can burst with friends and larger groups.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Gansan

If the admonishing and preaching happens only during Diwali, it has everything to do with religion.

Exactly. It has almost become a fashion statement and most of these preachers completely forget about pollution during the rest of the year. Nor do we see any steps towards green living by them.

And why only target firecrackers and that too particularly during Diwali? Doesn't the pollution levels increase when crackers are burst during New Year's, political rallies, weddings, and every time India wins a match?

Originally Posted by am1m

I don't think firecrackers have anything to do with religion. All of us friends from different religions used to enjoy bursting crackers with equal enthusiasm. We've stopped not because we belong or don't belong to a particular faith but because we've become old and can't handle the noise and smoke anymore.

But I guess ultimately they and their children too have to breathe that same air. Well, if they're ok with it and making a statement is worth that, then fair enough.

I guess the number of people who burst crackers to make a statement is far less than the people who do it for enjoyment. What I feel this over preaching has done is to convert those who had naturally given up this practice as they got older into a pro-cracker brigade.

There are so many vices in this world that are bad for the people and future generations, but only the firecrackers get a bad rap. Doesn't having copious amounts of candy for Halloween, which seems to be getting popular by the year, do any harm?

[dragonfire]

I know I am in the minority but I absolutely detest the sound of crackers. I am okay with somebody bursting crackers at his own private place without disturbing others who do not enjoy them. Maybe do it indoors so that the sound and smoke do not stray into other people's property and you can enjoy the sound and smoke you create to the fullest.

It is absolutely heartening that more people each year are saying no to crackers. It would be around only as long as the industry manages to sustain itself. When a majority of the people have left crackers behind on their evolution to become better human beings, the industry will become less lucrative and this menace will simply die off.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by am1m

Do you think it's reduced in intensity over the years? I'm not home this year for Deepavali, but over the past few years I think the level of cracker bursting has gone down in Bangalore at least. I remember when we were kids, it was a 3-5 day thing, every evening till 10-11pm. (And I was an enthusiastic participant back then!) Don't see that these days, or perhaps I'm mistaken.

(Over the years have lost the appetite for smoke and noise, I now enjoy diyas and watching rockets.)

Can't say for Bangalore, but for Chennai it has gone up actually. As kids, I remember Diwali/Deepavali being a one day - two episode event, one in the morning and one later in the night. The afternoon and the next day would be spent meeting relatives and friends, holding an equal importance as much as the cracker bursting.

Now while it's still a one day affair, people seem to have expanded on their cracker bombs and rocket purchases more while back them we used to spend it equally if not more on less noise and more light emitting firecrackers (sparklers, chakras, flower pots, etc). Nowadays I see more money spent on bombs and rockets only. And no surprises - these are much more polluting (IMO). Most irritating are the 10,000/50,000/1L? walla bombs which is all just noise and pollution.

[pandey.jai]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

And why only target firecrackers and that too particularly during Diwali? Doesn't the pollution levels increase when crackers are burst during New Year's, political rallies, weddings, and every time India wins a match?

.....
What I feel this over preaching has done is to convert those who had naturally given up this practice as they got older into a pro-cracker brigade.

There are so many vices in this world that are bad for the people and future generations, but only the firecrackers get a bad rap. Doesn't having copious amounts of candy for Halloween, which seems to be getting popular by the year, do any harm?

Two wrongs don’t make a right though. I don’t think anyone can objectively look and deny the fact that crackers cause pollution - it doesn’t matter if that is when some election results are announced or at weddings or when Indian cricket team wins a match (do people still do this?)


Your example about candy during Halloween is slightly incorrect in my opinion. If in an apartment complex with 100 houses where 50% of households burst crackers, then the resulting waste and pollution affect all 100% of households due to the fact that there is just not a different volume of air people breathe. However if the same 50% of people consume unhealthy levels of candy, it affects only those people who consumed it and the rest don’t have any direct effects.

[WorkingGuru]

Civil strife is ANY Govts' favourite soup.

The biggest misgiving in these debates is that people really perceive that there's an "us" and "them". Don't fall for it. Be neither averse to them, nor seek their favour.

Its time civil society started objectively noticing divisive politics & calling it out.

[Amrik Singh]

Originally Posted by dragonfire

It is absolutely heartening that more people each year are saying no to crackers.

Unfortunately most of them succumb to family and kids pressure and stray off their determination. Besides the prosperity and the desire to show off, tend to lean towards fireworks. At the same time, those who favour display of fireworks are spending more and more on it. They have no consideration for those neighbours who are already suffering from chronic diseases like Asthma or small kids whose eardrums could suffer damage.

Last year, I had created a post on Facebook which I am sharing here too.

Looking forward for people to rise above religion and think of humanity

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by Amrik Singh

Unfortunately most of them succumb to family and kids pressure y

Sir, you know what's more unfortunate in some places? It's the adults who, in some weird defiance, get the crackers and burst them, normalizing it for the kids too. In fact, there have been cases at my son's school where parents have approached the authorities to tell them off, that they're reaching "wrong things" to their kids about crackers and pollution. Pitiable.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

Two wrongs don’t make a right though. I don’t think anyone can objectively look and deny the fact that crackers cause pollution - it doesn’t matter if that is when some election results are announced or at weddings or when Indian cricket team wins a match (do people still do this?)

I am not justifying anything. It is just my opinion that this negative publicity and preaching is resulting in people becoming more polarised. And yes, people still burst crackers when India wins.

Originally Posted by pandey.jai

Your example about candy during Halloween is slightly incorrect in my opinion. If in an apartment complex with 100 houses where 50% of households burst crackers, then the resulting waste and pollution affect all 100% of households due to the fact that there is just not a different volume of air people breathe. However if the same 50% of people consume unhealthy levels of candy, it affects only those people who consumed it and the rest don’t have any direct effects.

This example was for the question of whether people who burst crackers as a statement don't care for themselves or their kids. My point is, people, don't care. Halloween is just an example of another festival, that is bad for the kids, that is not part of our culture, but seems to be getting popular by the year with celebs promoting it. Here is where I see the double standards.

There should be a holistic approach to reducing the carbon footprint. Just not bursting crackers for a day and not changing any other habit is not going to help. In fact, producing lesser babies is a far more greener contribution.

[xway]

Although poll is closed. My decision is Yes.

Will not do it as much as during my childhood days, but will surely do it for tradition and show my kid the light, joy and color of the festival of Diwali. Else this too will get lost over the years.

Next generation will associate crackers and celebrations with other festivals only, with the original festival of crackers Diwali will become sparkle less.

I stay in Delhi NCR where PM2.5 pollution is the worst among both our country and the world.

Since we are already past Diwali, I will share my observation that pollution levels a week before Diwali itself were extreme levels, post Diwali increased the extreme levels further.

I would have followed and said No if the law was universal and crackers banned completely for Cricket wins, Political celebrations, Weddings, Eid, New Year. I do not support any political wings but strongly observed that such Bans and Voices are highly biased.

Originally Posted by mayankk

Sir, you know what's more unfortunate in some places? It's the adults who, in some weird defiance, get the crackers and burst them, normalizing it for the kids too. In fact, there have been cases at my son's school where parents have approached the authorities to tell them off, that they're reaching "wrong things" to their kids about crackers and pollution. Pitiable.

I beg to disagree here, as why just Diwali which is one day of the year being singled out to all the pollution in the country/world ?

There seems to be an agenda here so that the tradition of bursting crackers, light, sparkles, celebration of Diwali is lost and erased from the future generations. After some years we will remember crackers and celebration and associate them with new year, cricket wins, chinese new year, political party wins only, whereas the original festival of Diwali will be shadowed.


I am all up for fighting pollution but would support the primary causes which are millions of times higher than a single day festival.

- Power generation using coal - the highest pollutant cause.

- DG sets - Yes, our shining malls hubs IT parks are all powered throughout the year using this, due to inadequate electricity even after so many years.

- Vehicle Pollution - This goes without saying

- Farm / Garbage burning - Again this is something that is also a major contributor.

- Crackers - In other festivals and celebrations also crackers are used. Surprisingly there is no pollution then.

Yes, the pollution levels are extreme, and starts much before Diwali and throughout the year, but singling out a tradition and banning is absurd.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by xway

There seems to be an agenda here so that the tradition of bursting crackers, light, sparkles, celebration of Diwali is lost and erased from the future generations. After some years we will remember crackers and celebration and associate them with new year, cricket wins, chinese new year, political party wins only, whereas the original festival of Diwali will be shadowed.

Go by tradition then. Light candles and diyas and phooljharis. Laxmi bomb didn't exist when tradition came forth.

In any case, how has singling out and banning affected anyone? What ban, in fact. Do carry on, as has been done.

As to pollution before and after Diwali?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ind...updates-743803

"The 24-hour average concentration of lung-damaging fine particles known as PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR shot up from 243 micrograms per cubic metre at 6 pm on Thursday to 430 micrograms per cubic metre at 2 pm on Friday, around seven times the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre."

Why should I be made to put up with YOUR smoke and noise?

In the polite words of someone anonymous
"Your freedom ends where my nose begins."
(in this case, literally! )

[hrman]

Its a once in a year thing. When we were kids, we cared a damn about the pollution or noise and just went ahead and enjoyed the joys Deepawali had to offer. The same is valid now too. Whenever I am preached about pollution, pets getting scared etc, I politely inform them to consider selling off their overly sized SUVs polluting the world, stop usage of high end LED TVs, ACs and other modern comfort devices which use more electricity and lead to more coal burning.

This targeted western propaganda and preaching against traditional Indian festivals has just started a few years back. Why do they target only festivals like Sankranti (Manja murders), Holi (Save water), Gokulashtmi(save water), Deepawali (Dont cause pollution), Dassera (Water pollution and noise), Ganesh Chaturthi (dont pollute rivers)?
I will strongly support buying and bursting crackers. Don't deprive children of what you once enjoyed yourself without a thought in the world.

I found an interesting view from Sadhguru on this.

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/a...rks-row/829016

Note: Im not a bhakt or follower of any spiritual leader. But the above made sense to me.