VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

A campaign to stop the anti-social practice of

fireworks traumatizing people and animals

of the Hibiscus Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Deepavali (or Diwali) is the festival which broadly celebrates the triumph of good over evil primarily symbolized in the mythological epic of Ramayana in which the Hindu God Rama defeats his demonic adversary Ravana.

The word Diwali has been derived from Deepavali which in turn is formed by dipa (light) + avali (row). Deepavali is thus a line or a row of lamps. During Diwali, lamps are lit everywhere. It is celebrated on four consecutive days.

Customary traditions include offering prayers to the Gods in the morning and exchanging sweets with friends and neighbours. During the night the houses are adorned with small-lit oil lamps and colorful lights and then the entire family participates in the display of fireworks.

Though the dazzling fireworks add to the enthusiasm and fervour of the spirit of Diwali, there also exists a group of anti-cracker campaigners. They are of the opinion that crackers are responsible for environmental pollution, child labour, and also cause loss of crores of rupees which could be put to constructive use.

Resist bursting Fire Crackers in Diwali

During Diwali one can acquire the grace Shri Lakshmi by performing Her worship on the day of Lakshmi-Poojan. At the same time one can see the pictures of deities printed on the crackers like the Lakshmi-bar, Krushna-bar, Vishnu-bar. Even the pictures of great men of India like Netaji Subhashchandra Bose who fought and gave their life for  Independence are found on the crackers. When the crackers are burst, these pictures are also torn to pieces. The pieces of the pictures of deities and great men thus fall scattered on the road. They are trampled upon by people, ridden over by vehicles and thrown in the dirt and gutter. This is a rank denigration of most revered deities and national heroes.

Those who burst firecrackers are Anti-Social, Anti-national and Anti-religion! H.H. Dr. Jayant Balaji Athavale

Physical: Burns, deafness. Many people die in explosions in factories manufacturing fire-crackers. Sometimes, rocket-crackers set fire to huts, heap of dry grass etc.

Economic: Terrorists in Pakistan collect funds from people in the name of ‘Jihad’ (Religious War), saying they will purchase bullets to kill ‘Kafirs’ (non-believers). The cost of each bullet is Rs.10/-. With the situation so grim and also because the nation is on the brink of insolvency, it is a sin to burn crores of Rupees on bursting fire-crackers every year.

Spiritual: Devotional songs (Aarti) or sattvic sounds attract Divine energies and deities. But noise from crackers, full of ‘tama’ component, attract distressing energies. This is what we are witnessing today in the country. The Tama-charged environment affects the human mind adversely and man becomes Tama-oriented. Hence we must impress the ill-effects of crackers upon the young minds and stop them from bursting crackers.

Diwali: Festival of Lights symbolizing the triumph of the good over evil

Tradition says that the illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.

Fireworks come in different varieties: from the delightfully visual ones to the ear deafening noisy ones.

Loud and percussive fireworks harm people, animals, property and the environment and many of them are toxic.

Consider the dangers & effects of fireworks and help good to continue to triumph over evil.

Back to the top