ગુજરાતીમાં વાંચો

Diwali, the festival of lights. The festival of Ringing out the old and ringing in the new. Households start preparing for Diwali celebrations from almost a month in advance. Housewives planning sweets and namkeen, bread earners planning budget for clothes, sweets, travelling, gifting and crackers. It all seems so beautiful. Happiness all around, people trying to bring change in their lives. Everyone has a bucket list for themselves. Among all this excitement and enthusiasm of cerebrating Diwali, there is a dark side to this festival of lights. That is the firecrackers. The price of firecrackers has risen substantially and so has the budget allocation to firecrackers gone up in Diwali celebrations. On an average a family would spend 3000-4000 Rs. on firecrackers for their children.

Do you know what happens when we light firecrackers?

1. In India there are more than 50,000 children working in fire cracker industry. They work without any safety equipment or even mask. The inhale cracker powder which destroys their lungs. When our children scream with joy with the sound of fire cracker, some child is coughing with clogged lungs due to breathing chemicals.
2. Every year there are hundreds of incidents of fire due to firecrackers. There are so many accidents, damage to property and loss of lives. All this for what? Few moments of joy?
3. One of the strangest aspect of this celebration which no one thinks about. Let me ask you a question. Would you burn hard earned money to celebrate and enjoy? You would certainly reply asking back, what sort of foolish question is it? Exactly. This is what people do. They light fire crackers which is received in exchange of currency only. So when you are lighting firecrackers you are indirectly enjoying burning cash, making a child who is of your child’s age suffer in hellish working conditions and yet remain unpaid or underpaid and even exploited physically.

Do you know what happens when we do not light firecrackers?

1. The firecracker industry will employ less children or workers for production. They will work elsewhere which I am certain will be less risky
2. You do not contribute adding to already existing pollution problem
3. You would not accidently damage someone’s property
4. You will not knowingly or unknowingly harass some old age person or child who is not well and cannot bare the smoke and noise of crackers.
5. If you invest that 3000-4000 Rs. for your child instead of buying them crackers, it will be helpful to them for higher education or buying something helpful or even during emergency needs. If you invest Rs. 4000 a year with 10% step-up every year. It will grow to almost Rs. 1,15,000 in 10 years at 10% rate of interest.

So I request to celebrate the Diwali wisely. Instead of spending thousands on firecrackers buy low smoke crackers just for the token of celebration. Do not seek for joy and thrill lighting your hard earned money.