Diwali has just gotten over, however it seems the city is not really willing to let go of the ‘festive spirit’ and wants to cling to it with everything they have.
Just yesterday, a day after diwali, while I was expecting quite and peace after a hectic day of festival preparations, house cleaning and decorating and the final puja of the day, a few of the residential buildings around us had a different idea.
During the evening, I could hear the loud bombards of different crackers, spanning a good couple of hours.
This sort of made me reflect, that it wasn’t that long ago when we were being showered, left and right, with advertisements and pamphlets and whatnot about the increasing air pollution and that we should refrain from bursting crackers this diwali.
Admittedly, diwali is the supposed to be the festival of lights and colours. The light from the diyas that line our houses and every corner of it, lighting it up and driving away the darkness. And the colour of the rangoli glowing brightly and making everything seem just a bit cheerful and happier.
But bursting crackers is almost as if not more, important part of diwali. Parents almost make a family bonding trip out of it, with taking their kids to buy crackers of their choice.
I cannot help but reflect though of the double standards of these people, who are more than happy cribbing about the air pollution and noise pollution and ‘why doesn’t the government do anything?’
However when it actually comes on to us, the citizens to do our part, we very conveniently forget all about those complaints in order to just do what we wish for.
I remember when I was in school, perhaps 4th or 5th class, in our social science class, I read a line that has till now stuck with me, I am unable to remember the exact wording but it went something like ‘along with freedom and right we also have duties and responsibilities to fulfill’.
And I find out how true it is, that we as citizens of this country are not just here to gain the benefits of the policies and schemes. But when the time comes, we must also do our part.
This time, the government and media too tried to emphasis on how bad the air and noise pollution level is, and tried to discourage the use of crackers altogether.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have done that much of a difference, as at the end of the day, the important thing is that we enjoy right?
Who cares about the environment? Who cares if we only will have to bear the consequences of all this? Instant gratification is more of import.
Image Credits: Google Images
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