It’s not just on Deepawali—the Festival of Lights—that crackers are burst and sparklers set off. Patakhe, phooljhari and anar, etc have become integral parts of all celebrations—marriage processions, ‘victories’ on the electoral battle or the cricket pitch. Few recall that ear drum-bursting ‘bombs’ or irritating laris have absolutely no symbolic significance—mythological or traditional. Aatishbazi—pyrotechnics—was the word used to describe spectacular fireworks arranged by and for the entertainment of the rich and the powerful. The poor spectators gaped at the sky as multi-coloured stars formed dazzling patterns for fleeting moments believing that the public entertainment was arranged for their benefit allowing them to ‘participate’ from a safe distance from the invited guests.
For years now the dark side of the sound and light industry has caused concern. The exploitation of child labour continues at Sivakasi and other places where this hazardous cottage industry flourishes—mostly unlicensed despite horrible accidents in which dozens of lives are lost. The toxic fumes released by fireworks pollute the air we breathe dangerously and the air quality in cities and towns worsens from severe to precarious.
The courts had shown some courage to ‘ban’ the crackers before a small section of self-styled guardians of tradition forced them to backtrack. The face-saving option of ‘green crackers’ (like non-toxic vegetable dyes-based colours for Holi) was suggested along with a strictly limited window to indulge in this ‘customary practice’. Then began the ‘blame game’. Why ban the patakha and phooljhari that make children happy when you can’t stop the farmers from burning parali in their fields or take effective steps to punish drivers of motor vehicles billowing poisonous fumes from their exhaust pipes?
The problem is indeed very complex but what is most distressing is that those charged with the responsibility of protecting our lives and fundamental rights seemed to have abdicated. Even the apex court appears to vacillate. Spiritual gurus who head influential cults pontificate that children shouldn’t be denied these innocent pleasures. Safely ensconced in their sprawling retreats away from eardrum-piercing sound blasts and toxic fumes that linger on for days where the majority of Indians live, they can afford to do so. ‘Boys will be boys and let them behave as boys’ is an extremely dangerous argument. If the girls assert their right to gender equality and take to streets igniting festive ‘atom bombs’ and launching ‘rockets’ with a swoosh, you can rest assured how the vigilantes will react.
“This is against our swadeshi culture and totally unacceptable. Why can’t the ‘girls be girls’ and accept the roles assigned to them traditionally? Stay at home, dress up conservatively as prescribed and busy themselves with the task of preparing sweets and savouries for family and friends?” Anyone transgressing the code of conduct can be charged with hurting the sentiments of the community—at least those who roam the streets as moral police squads claiming to be pure and puritanical. Remember the plight of Dabur company who had dared to put up a bold ad on the Karva Chauth defying stereotypes?
Bursting crackers to celebrate a win of your favourite cricket team is today more hazardous than the risk of causing a conflagration by misguided fireworks. Kashmiri youngsters—medical students in Srinagar and Agra—have been booked, as per news reports, for sedition. It is irrelevant whether they burst firecrackers or not, conspiratorially with criminal intent, but surely such incidents should make us think why are the BCCI and IPL allowed by the sovereign government to let Pakistan participate in the tournament? The matches played on foreign soil have more to do with money-minting by organisers and punters than with sport. And, the buck has a louder bang than any firecracker.
Reckless misuse of crackers and sparklers is no longer restricted to Deepawali. Any event—private or public—provides an opportunity to show off one’s power and pelf to flout the law of the land. What is claimed to be ‘public opinion’ is actually the imposition of fanatical views of the sectarian cutting edge of a community. It certainly is not what the majority in the land believe in. Weaponisation of religion and deliberately distorted interpretations of history have created a climate where any celebration can cause a flare-up of caste or communal violence and turn it into mourning. Who needs sulphur or phosphorus in form of patakha to start a fire?
Talking of fireworks metaphorically, too many bangs have ended in a whimper. The NCB’s pyrotechnics in the cruise raid case involving Aryan Khan has had its fair share of damp squibs. The top cop in Maharashtra has pulled off a great vanishing trick that would have done Houdini proud. The ‘sound of silence’ in this strange case isn’t amusing but deeply disturbing. Is he in service? Has he been suspended? How long can this game of hide-and-seek continue?
Pushpesh Pant
pushpeshpant@gmail.com
Former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University