Diwali is a “Hindu” festival. Hinduism is not a religion but a way of living. Be it their Yajna for forests (yagya) or their awareness for purity of the nature, it has always promoted love and care for the nature. How can a festival of Hindus be so cruel to the nature? Diwali was never about polluting the eco-system. It is more than bursting firecrackers. The festival marks the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, purity over pollution. Diwali symbolizes celebration but it can never come at a cost of mother nature. It is the festival of lights and not burning of the limitless crackers which takes the form of air and noise pollution. The noise of crackers causes immense suffering to birds and animals.
Nowadays, people burn dangerous fire crackers limitlessly. Crackers play a vital role in polluting our environment. The toxic substances used in the firecrackers release gases that are harmful to the health of all living beings. Noiseless Diwali has become the concept for the last few years. It is slowly gathering momentum too. But it has not yet reached that level to which we all can say that yes, we celebrated a noiseless safe and pollution free Diwali. There is no need to pollute the environment during Diwali.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
