Banning firecrackers does not tantamount to banning Diwali celebrations

Even before Diwali fireworks of different types are out. An unnecessary controversy about firecrackers is raging in Delhi. While the Aam Aadmi Party has put a complete ban on the use of firecrackers in Delhi with stringent punishment for those violating the ban, the BJP is out to lift the ban and is taking on the AAP government for deliberately banning firecrackers on a Hindu festival of Diwali. They attacked AAP for its double standards and being anti-Hindu, citing videos of AAP workers burning fire crackers in the party celebrations. They argue that when AAP workers burn firecrackers does that not pollute the air, why do only the Hindus have to suffer due to such a ban? To challenge the ban the BJP Delhi leader Manoj Tiwari moved the Supreme Court for relief but did not get it. The Supreme Court had last week refused to hear the plea against the ban on firecrackers in the capital till January 1, 2023. Earlier in the month, the apex court had refused to stay the Delhi government's order banning the storage, sale, and use of all varieties of firecrackers till January 1. The court advised Tiwari to spend his money on sweets and let people breathe. The observation is apt as this time around the air pollution is at its peak in Delhi, blame it on stubble burning in the fields of Haryana and Punjab or the  vehicular pollutionthe Delhi Air Quality is hovering around in ‘unhealthy zone’. If you add a night of firecrackers it would become ‘hazardous’ to even breathe Delhi air.

Delhi environment ministry has put a complete ban on manufacturing, storing, and selling firecrackers in the national capital and made it a punishable offence, the violators would attract a fine of up to `5,000 and three years in jail. Unfortunately, almost everything is politicized even if it is about the health of the people. After all, every political party claims to work for the welfare of the people and so their health should be of paramount concern for them. To score brownie points and add to the political divide on religion one party is deliberately targeting another and branding it anti-Hindu even though there is no precedence of firecrackers in Ramayana. All that people did when Rama returned from the forest was to light diyas or the earthen lamps. Many things got associated with the popular festival of Diwali like gambling, and firecrackers but they are not part of Diwali. So let this be a bright and noise-free Diwali!