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Happy Diwali

I was alone at home today evening trying to avoid the noise of the bursting crackers outside. I had closed all doors and windows making sure that noise and smoke does not enter my room and my eyes, ears, lungs etc. I turned on my music system so that it kills the bursting noise of crackers, but in vain. The crackers and the people lighting them won the contest in irritating me to the core. Finally, I made myself busy with household chores trying to avoid the frustration.

I was reminded of the three peaceful days that I had spent at Kashid beach. The tranquility of the sea, clear skies full of twinkling stars, white sand, migrating birds and a crowd that probably was not more that 10 if counted. It was really a consoling experience amidst the greenery of trees, bright colours of never before seen flowers, birds chirping their melody, and cool breeze. The evening was also beautiful with the mud houses lit with diwali lamps, laterns, and children lighting sparklers. We hardly heard a cracker bursting or a cloud of smoke out of that burst. A sea ahead, forest behind, fresh pollution free air, and ample greenery was indeed something I was craving for since a long time. I felt fresh and rejuvenated. As all good things come to an end someday, so did our rendezvous with tranquility and harmony was about to end as we packed our bags and turned our car towards Mumbai.

I cherished my stay at Kashid and filled my imagination with as much as magical moments as possible so that I can live refreshed for couple of months. However, my expectations were short-lived. As I write this article, there is so much of cracker bursting going on outside that I feel as if I am sitting on Indo-Pak border and cross firing is going on across the border. Yes the noise so fierce that it pierces my ears and I am afraid it might rupture my ear drum. Moreover, the smoke from the cracker burst is polluting the environment. I don’t understand why people love burning their money so much. Every time I see a ‘laxmi bomb’ burst, it seems like you just put a rolled Rs.100 note on fire. Also what irritates me most is that people enjoy this ‘money burning experience’ and don’t care to clear off the remains after their enjoyment is over. People have started loving to listen to killing decibels of noise, breath the air mixed with smoke, waste their money, and dirty the place. Cleanliness begins at home and surely ends at home for them. Municipality and Government are there to take care of the dirt resulting from the crackers. And if those remains are not cleared, people are loud enough (as loud as the crackers they burst) to blame the Government.

We definitely can celebrate diwali like what I saw in Kashid with just sparklers, anars, charkas, and so on. These look beautiful, result in less of smoke and surely don’t irritate other people with ear tearing noise. Diwali is the festival of lights, beauty of which has to be adored and it definitely is not about sound or pollution. But in cities, crackers have become like a status symbol, a medium to flaunt your richness.

In my opinion manufacture of such crackers should be banned. Sometimes it is necessary to force people into something if they don’t obey things told to them amicably or don’t realize their responsibilities.

Looking at surroundings that I am sitting in right now I feel like wishing myself – “Wish you a very Happy and Phosphorous Diwali” and to rest of my readers – “Wish you a happy and prosperous Diwali”.

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