NEW DELHI – Each year, Diwali fireworks and crackers leave behind a familiar detritus of their burnt remains, along with a pall of smog that obscures our skies. But in recent years, their use has also led to a bitter public battle that continues to generate heat and fireworks long after the crackers have fizzled out.
This year has been especially noisy. On one side are those who argue that letting off crackers during this festive season, which coincides with a recurring annual winter pollution peak across much of India, is suicide. Emissions from fireworks add to a worsening pollution load each year, and who in their right minds would want to add more to the toxic mix?
I agree. Why saw the branch you are clinging to for dear life in the middle of a category 3 cyclone?
Yet, on the other hand, there are those who defend the use of crackers in the name of religion, arguing they are intrinsic to Diwali, the festival of lights meant to celebrate Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya after defeating the evil king, Ravana. If Christians can chop trees for Christmas and if Muslims can go on slaughtering animals for Eid, why can’t Hindus burst crackers on Diwali, they argue?
Tell me, must we all compete in a race to ecocide?
