The prodigal son(rama) returned home after thirteen years of exile.Exuberant common folk,to show their happiness,lit lamps in each of their homes.Thus diwali was born.
In our typical Indian fashion,we made it what it is today.
Pomp and splendor best sum up this,"The Festival Of Lights".The one festival,in my opinion,which every Indian celebrates and enjoys,regardless of any secular or social differences.
"The Festival Of Lights".What an apt name!
How sublimely enjoyable is the sky to behold!
All lit up,a panorama of pyrotechnic wonders,an Olympic opening ceremony,almost,in every direction,as far as the eye can see.
How delightful are the expressions on tiny tots faces!An expression of fear,excitement and sheer happiness,their faces light up even as the fireworks do.
How awesome are the wild and crazy antics of teenagers(guys especially)!!!.doing things forbidden,wild and bordering on insanity,which nevertheless give an adrenaline rush like nothing else(On a personal note,I spent many of my Diwali's dropping lit chilli bombs down the opening of an exposed pipe on the terrace.As to what that pipe transported,I decline to tell you!!)
Let me now move over to the other,oft ignored aspects of Diwali. .
People who suffer asthmatic ailments find it very hard to properly enjoy this day.
Municipal workers,who work hard enough as it is,face more work the day following Diwali than on a typical workweek for them.
We're literally burning money today.Not our money,of course,but still,the fact remains.
Last year,and the year before that,the night sky was cloaked in a perpetual fog,which was the smoke from our crackers.
All these problems,though huge,pale in comparison to the most horrendous,inhumane and shocking problem with Diwali.Which indeed,is the very reason for this post.
I spoke of the the bliss experienced by little kids. The reason for their joy are the fireworks aren't they?
Let me pose a question.
WHO MAKES THOSE CRACKERS???
Isn't the workforce responsible composed largely of kids who belong in primary schools??.
Even in a controlled environment with extreme precautionary measures,accidents happen.This environment,I think can safely be said,is poles apart from the one at S*****I(figure it out).
The kids working there handle saltpeter(an ingredient of gunpowder),SOLID SODIUM,potassium permanganate on a regular basis without safety equipment of any sort.(whoever thinks i'm spouting rubbish,Google it)
I'm a betting man.Yet I would't wager ONE single rupee that a child unfortunate enough to face this horror will escape,unscathed in body and unbroken in spirit,able to start a normal life(I didn't include pictures because they were too horrifying)
Is there something about these little children which makes them less human?
Don't they deserve the same happiness children on the other side of the spectrum enjoy today?
Don't they,both as Indians and Humans have the right to DEMAND a normal,if not better lifestyle?/
And isn't it our MORAL,ETHICAL and FUNDAMENTAL DUTY to give it to them?
If anyone is thinking,"it's a form of population control",I pity you.No sense in you reading further and wasting your time.
There are some people who,fully cognizant of the facts,buy fireworks worth 500\- instead of 1000\- and feel they've made a huge sacrifice,and are really noble.Well,you're NOT!
let me address another class of people.The ones whose only association with an NGO is through facebook.Do you feel you're helping out by just singning on,maybe liking a few posts, and commenting????
IF the answer's yes,you're DELUDED.
if even one person's still reading,genuinely wanting to help these poor souls out,there is a way.
It involves Huge sacrifice,yet the rewards are equally herculean.
consider it a heartfelt plea,consider it a request,consider it BEGGING if it makes you grant it.
DO NOT BUY CRACKERS THIS DIWALI.
yes,the sacrifice is huge,but the impact's huge too.
If even one person refrains from buying crackers,all these words have not been in vain.
Though it might seem paradoxical and redundant,
HAVE AN AWESOME DIWALI!
In our typical Indian fashion,we made it what it is today.
Pomp and splendor best sum up this,"The Festival Of Lights".The one festival,in my opinion,which every Indian celebrates and enjoys,regardless of any secular or social differences.
"The Festival Of Lights".What an apt name!
How sublimely enjoyable is the sky to behold!
All lit up,a panorama of pyrotechnic wonders,an Olympic opening ceremony,almost,in every direction,as far as the eye can see.
How delightful are the expressions on tiny tots faces!An expression of fear,excitement and sheer happiness,their faces light up even as the fireworks do.
How awesome are the wild and crazy antics of teenagers(guys especially)!!!.doing things forbidden,wild and bordering on insanity,which nevertheless give an adrenaline rush like nothing else(On a personal note,I spent many of my Diwali's dropping lit chilli bombs down the opening of an exposed pipe on the terrace.As to what that pipe transported,I decline to tell you!!)
Let me now move over to the other,oft ignored aspects of Diwali. .
People who suffer asthmatic ailments find it very hard to properly enjoy this day.
Municipal workers,who work hard enough as it is,face more work the day following Diwali than on a typical workweek for them.
We're literally burning money today.Not our money,of course,but still,the fact remains.
Last year,and the year before that,the night sky was cloaked in a perpetual fog,which was the smoke from our crackers.
All these problems,though huge,pale in comparison to the most horrendous,inhumane and shocking problem with Diwali.Which indeed,is the very reason for this post.
I spoke of the the bliss experienced by little kids. The reason for their joy are the fireworks aren't they?
Let me pose a question.
WHO MAKES THOSE CRACKERS???
Isn't the workforce responsible composed largely of kids who belong in primary schools??.
Even in a controlled environment with extreme precautionary measures,accidents happen.This environment,I think can safely be said,is poles apart from the one at S*****I(figure it out).
The kids working there handle saltpeter(an ingredient of gunpowder),SOLID SODIUM,potassium permanganate on a regular basis without safety equipment of any sort.(whoever thinks i'm spouting rubbish,Google it)
I'm a betting man.Yet I would't wager ONE single rupee that a child unfortunate enough to face this horror will escape,unscathed in body and unbroken in spirit,able to start a normal life(I didn't include pictures because they were too horrifying)
Is there something about these little children which makes them less human?
Don't they deserve the same happiness children on the other side of the spectrum enjoy today?
Don't they,both as Indians and Humans have the right to DEMAND a normal,if not better lifestyle?/
And isn't it our MORAL,ETHICAL and FUNDAMENTAL DUTY to give it to them?
If anyone is thinking,"it's a form of population control",I pity you.No sense in you reading further and wasting your time.
There are some people who,fully cognizant of the facts,buy fireworks worth 500\- instead of 1000\- and feel they've made a huge sacrifice,and are really noble.Well,you're NOT!
let me address another class of people.The ones whose only association with an NGO is through facebook.Do you feel you're helping out by just singning on,maybe liking a few posts, and commenting????
IF the answer's yes,you're DELUDED.
if even one person's still reading,genuinely wanting to help these poor souls out,there is a way.
It involves Huge sacrifice,yet the rewards are equally herculean.
consider it a heartfelt plea,consider it a request,consider it BEGGING if it makes you grant it.
DO NOT BUY CRACKERS THIS DIWALI.
yes,the sacrifice is huge,but the impact's huge too.
If even one person refrains from buying crackers,all these words have not been in vain.
Though it might seem paradoxical and redundant,
HAVE AN AWESOME DIWALI!
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