SPARKS WORTH THE SMOKE?
Its three days after Diwali, and yet, the noise of the firecrackers is incessant. Today, I finished my evening walk and returned home to my block of apartments, when I saw Diwali still being celebrated full-swing. 5 flower pots being smoked up at once, you might call it a pretty sight! But the fountain of sparks, itself lasting for hardly 10 seconds, leaves behind enough smoke to last for as long the earth lasts...more and more being added every minute…
The whole scenario got me wondering. If one really wants to verify the conviction behind the most eloquent talks about pollution and ozone layer depletion, all one has to do is be in town for Diwali! Where are all the no-smoke campaigns? Where did all the no-noise-pollution speech-makers disappear? Are they bursting crackers themselves? Most likely. “But it’s a celebration, yaar” many would whine, but is there no better way to celebrate, I ask? Sending off rockets zooming in all funny directions, sounding like a true UFO, right in the middle of a gully as narrow as a classroom bench, with rows of shabbily constructed buildings lining both edges, and cars and cycles honking right on the “celebration” sight is not really my idea of celebration! But, apparently, it is for many Bangaloreans!
Sitting at home, I end up wasting half my time waiting for the 10000-walas and 50000-walas to finish speaking their minds; and the sight of the “pretty” blasts of rockets in the night sky is not one bit “pretty” for me! The only picture that comes to my mind is that of millions of homeless little kids toiling away in dark godowns and the earth enveloped in smoke and more smoke and more smoke…and we left to perish…
Consequences of our heartfelt “celebrations”??
Its three days after Diwali, and yet, the noise of the firecrackers is incessant. Today, I finished my evening walk and returned home to my block of apartments, when I saw Diwali still being celebrated full-swing. 5 flower pots being smoked up at once, you might call it a pretty sight! But the fountain of sparks, itself lasting for hardly 10 seconds, leaves behind enough smoke to last for as long the earth lasts...more and more being added every minute…
The whole scenario got me wondering. If one really wants to verify the conviction behind the most eloquent talks about pollution and ozone layer depletion, all one has to do is be in town for Diwali! Where are all the no-smoke campaigns? Where did all the no-noise-pollution speech-makers disappear? Are they bursting crackers themselves? Most likely. “But it’s a celebration, yaar” many would whine, but is there no better way to celebrate, I ask? Sending off rockets zooming in all funny directions, sounding like a true UFO, right in the middle of a gully as narrow as a classroom bench, with rows of shabbily constructed buildings lining both edges, and cars and cycles honking right on the “celebration” sight is not really my idea of celebration! But, apparently, it is for many Bangaloreans!
Sitting at home, I end up wasting half my time waiting for the 10000-walas and 50000-walas to finish speaking their minds; and the sight of the “pretty” blasts of rockets in the night sky is not one bit “pretty” for me! The only picture that comes to my mind is that of millions of homeless little kids toiling away in dark godowns and the earth enveloped in smoke and more smoke and more smoke…and we left to perish…
Consequences of our heartfelt “celebrations”??
BHARGAVI
posted by Nandini at 4:01 AM
7 Comments:
bhargu man.....kick ass blog!!!d whole thng abt child labour soooo TRUE.....senseless ppl r jus using child labour to pollute d environment...and d sooner v speak out...d better fer our planet...if not environmentally,cldnt ppl atleast c it frm d humanitarian point of view???is 12seconds of noise and smoke worth a hapless child dying due to pulmonary distress in a hostile factory....
Well written Bhargavi!!!! I completely agree about the pollution thing and with the backdrop of the child labour ban (which is as ineffective as popping peas to hurt someone).......
I have myself seen children working in shoddy conditions and being paid peanuts (or meagre meals at the end of the day)........very thoughtful blog.....Keep it up.....
i guess these thoughts are the first in the order to bring about a change.But, we definitely need more than just thoughts today...some action oriented people and some opinion leaders( n of course some basic common sense!)
-vaishnavi
Pithy. Couldn't agree with you more ! Good going ... keep it up.
truly an awareness blog...really inspirating..ur thoughts wil leave an imprint fr many..!! can w8 2 read mr..u simply rock!
Thoughtful indeed.
It would be so much more effective if more number of people thought along the same lines.
All i remember doing during diwali was to walk around the place with ear-muffs, and ride around hoping i wouldnt end up falling again, coz of such a loud burst of crackers outta the blue.
I dont understand the point of people lighting up an atom bomb and running into their houses and shutting their ears, i mean, they paid for the sound, they lit the bomb for the very sound, and they dont even succeed in enjoying it.
These are just one of the many things a lot of people continue to do blindly without rhyme or reason.
Well depicted. While lighting a cracker one would hardly think of the little hands that made it. Hope we can evolve to be a better society.
Kudos
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