I have never had great fantasy for crackers. As a child, I was afraid of it even till I was in 6th Standard. Later when I started enjoying, my mom always had a budget within which I should buy crackers and the budget was sickening low and have never enjoyed a crackerful deepevali. Later when I was in Class XI, I attended this function called Anandha Deepavali organised by Udhavum Ullangal - it is a deepavali celebration for lesser fortunate children. That year again brought about a change in me towards crackers. This time it was not fear, it was out of responsibility (I'm proud to say so). I was amidst kids for whom celebration was once is a year, organised by a few noble people. For whom eating vegetable biryani and onion raitha was a heavenly meal (few ate just onion raitha). For whom singing and dancing was possible in spite of the state of their life. For whom everybody they meet are brothers sisters and well wishers. For whom life has never been kind, yet they faced it with grit and smile. For whom deepavali was just another until this Anandha Deepavali took its stage. Due to safety of children at the function, "vaana vedikai" was arranged rather than allowing these kids to fire crackers. At this moment on seeing the light on the faces of these children was lightening. I was struck. Yes, crackers bring light and life for these children. No joy could match it. Do I really need crackers for joy? Isn't there a joy for me on seeing those happy faces? Do I need more joy than that? Does it make sense to fire crackers and feel happy about it? Thankfully since it is an event organised a week before deepavali, I resolved no crackers from that year onwards.
Though initially it was on seeing these children who could not celebrate, I was exposed to further disgusting facts about crackers and its industry in sivakasi. I continued with my resolve of "No Crackers". When I was doing my artcicleship, I just happened to listen to Mr. Sankar Mahadevan, Founder Trustee of Udhavum Ullangal. He told about the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) in Sivakasi through which Udhavum Ullangal supports education of children who were subjected to child labour. He explained how early kids are getting into the habit of working and how difficult it is to convince their parents to allow them study. He told that there were parents who told that if someone gives them Rs. 200/- per month that the child earns, they would allow the child to study. Of all he spoke, this remained in my mind. It didn't stay still in my mind. It continued to grow and disturb me. I felt there is more reason for me to say "No Crackers". So for every moment of happiness here by firing crackers, there are tears of hundreds of people. It is not just tears of hundreds, its their blood, their future. You could question, by you saying "No to Crackers", have you stopped child labour and tears of those families? Well, I have done my bit to not encourage one more family/child to be forced to child labour. How? Its simple economics. My demand for crackers is zero, hence production for me is zero. Had my demand been there, to enable supply, there would have been production, which could have affected a child's future? And there are many like Udhavum Ullangal, who take efforts to stop child labour, so it is my bit towards that.
You could argue, its for the government and industry to mature and regulate itself, why should I bother? I pay legally and I enjoy. Alright. It is your right to enjoy, but as you grow its assumed that with physical growth, you also mature mentally. It is okay for a kid to celebrate by firing crackers. Yes, its essential that kids enjoy. You don't stop kids from celebrating. You facilitate for them. But you grow up donkeys and monkeys, please grow. Stop firing crackers for your joy. You have various means of pleasure. Don't enter into a kids terrain. And does your happiness come at the cost of only someone far off whose face you do not know? See the world just immediately around you. What is the disturbance you cause to them? You do not know who is there in what state in the next house. Imagine, if there were some heart patient or elderly people with some illness looking for peaceful sleep. Isn't there a moral responsibility on you on timing of firing crackers? What if you had one such patient in your house and your neighbour fires a 10000 wala at 4 AM in the morning? Can you even drop out and ask him a question? You mindless idiot did it without minding people around you, why should your neighbour be bothered at all now? You want others to understand you, but never think of others?? What health hazards are you bringing? Can you breathe at ease when you are going out on a diwali day? Doesn't it affect the environment? Trees, birds, your lovely pets.. And at the cost of all these, you feel proud to have fired crackers worth so much.
As if these are not enough, I hear people saying that it is "SASTRAM" to fire crackers. My goodness, which SASTRA said so? It may have been your practice since ages, but that need not be the way around now. If you think of long back, yes, they would have fired crackers prepared in their own backyard just to inform the next village or any part of forest that there are people living out there and they are happy celebrating. But it is not a SASTRA to fire one today. I'm not an atheist, but this SASTRA sans logic.
CELEBRATION SHOULD NOT BE DISTURBING OTHERS. MIND IT.
