Deepavali, indeed the biggest and one of the most beautiful and joyous celebrations of the country, could never be celebrated at peace. While our surroundings are all lit up, there is eye-soothing and sparkling beauty all around, there is joy, togetherness, immense faith, and pure love and devotion for our beloved Prabhu Shri Ram, fingers are always pointed, hypocritical questions raised, and unnecessary debates surrounding the festival are fanned.
The festival of Deepavali, annually, comes hand in hand with the menace of flagging the ‘pollution’ it causes, by zombie-like ‘environmentalists’, who remain in sound sleep all over the year, only to emerge out of nowhere once Deepavali preparations begin across the country. It is like zombies coming from the dead how these ‘save the environment’ keyboard warriors become the biggest flagbearers of a fight against pollution only on Deepavali, and conveniently return to their slumber as soon as Deepavali ends.
This anti-pollution brigade, as per its own convenience, forgets how the major reason behind the air pollution and smog around the Delhi-NCR region during the time when Deepavali is celebrated is something else- it is the agricultural produce remains that are burned without any regulation or proper incinerators across the neighbouring regions of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh that chokes the NCR region. Afterall, Deepavali is celebrated all across the country, then why is only Delhi’s AQI discussed, that turns severely poor because of this unregulated agricultural procedure.
Deepavali is blamed as the villain as far as Delhi’s AQI is concerned as if during the whole year, Delhi’s air is as pristine as it comes! Why is AQI not discussed otherwise? Why is it not a matter of concern during the remaining 360 days of the year?
And still, rather than acting on this unregulated and nonsensical burning of the agricultural waste, courts and governments swiftly implement bans on Deepavali crackers in Delhi.
Coming back to these 5-day environmentalists, why do they go in hiding when it comes to talking about air pollution all round the year? Why are hundreds and hundreds of old, PUCC-non-compliant vehicles running on the roads not a problem? Why are factories and manufacturing units releasing hazardous amounts of pollutants into the environment not a problem? Why is the declining practice of walking short distances not a problem? Why is car-pooling not followed on a regular basis? Why are aero planes required even for considerably short distances?
The problem is exactly this. There are innumerable causes of air pollution, causing great damage, all around us, during the whole year; but only when it comes to firecrackers on Deepavali that a problem is noticed. Apparently, only the firecrackers burst on Deepavali create pollution, but the huge amounts of firecrackers burst during New Year celebrations, weddings, and other such occasions release fresh oxygen into the atmosphere!
Similarly, other this issue of ‘pollution’ and ‘safeguarding the environment’ vanishes into thin air during other festivals celebrated across the country. Why is there no uproar when lakhs of innocent animals are slaughtered and literal rivers of blood flow on roads on Eid? Or why is it that nobody gives two hoots about the environment and pollution when hundreds of trees are cut down during Christmas? Activism is good and keeps a society healthy, but this very partial activism is like vermin to the society.
It is our responsibility to ensure that every Hindu festival is not associated with this terrible feeling of guilt for those who celebrate. Our festivals are a coming-together of faith, joy, and celebrations, and not your activism ground. Either speak up for the environment and do deeds accordingly all round the year, or simply keep shut with your hypocrisy.
It is not a problem if you do not celebrate the festival like others do, and do not burst firecrackers, but you have absolutely zero right to preach others as to how they should celebrate a festival; especially when you turn a blind-eye to what all happens during festivals of other faiths; or to what your meaningless car rides, air-conditioners, flight trips, refrigerators, and multiple other habits do to the environment, as far as polluting it is concerned!
