The first day of Diwali is celebrated as Dhanteras. On this day we offer prayers to lord Dhanvantari who is the Indian god of health and Ayurveda. We ask him to bestow upon us and everyone around us with good health. Knowingly or unknowingly, the very next day we start bursting crackers which is one of the best ways to put a full stop to good health.
Crackers are the brand ambassadors of ill health. They clearly advertise their ill effects but still we don’t pay any attention to that. We only pay attention to their colourful display of light and their (un)pleasant sound and of course the pungent smell of the smoke produced.
The ill effects form an inexhaustive list but the light display we enjoy seeing so much is the most prominent of them all. To produce light crackers are filled with radioactive and poisonous chemicals which directly attack the heart and the nervous system. Health risks are not limited to us they cover even the animal kingdom.
Human ears are designed to hear frequencies only 70 Decibels and below, but by forcing your ears to listen to the noise produced by crackers whose frequency ranges between 120-130 decibels you can conveniently deafen yourself. Don’t we sometimes hope that we were deaf so we need not hear the scolding we receive from our parents and teachers? This wish will certainly come true if you burst crackers.
Even if these many facts do not persuade you to stop, then here is a bombshell.
The cracker industry of India is the field which employs the greatest number of children for work. Children are employed as they can work faster than adults and for their small and nimble fingers. They need not even be paid in par with the adults for whom money matters a great deal.
Working with chemicals, that too with bare hands can lead to slow poisoning of the nervous system and can lead to consequent death. By buying crackers, we in a way are encouraging this. The demand for crackers goes up every year and so does the burden on the children to work faster.
I am sure we wouldn’t want to encourage the employment of children. Not to mention the fact that them dealing with chemicals can lead to serious damage in their lives. This festival which brings endless joy to us gives them sorrow.
Crackers are not the only element that add fun to Diwali. Diwali gives you a chance to explore new things. Confused? Let me give you an example. If you’re interested in cooking, then you can learn how to make sweets and savouries. Not only will it enhance your cooking knowledge but also satisfy your sweet tooth. Those who love art you can try their hands at painting diyas and even try white-washing the walls of your house.
Though Diwali is the festival of lights, in the past few years it has become a festival much of crackers and less of lights. Let’s bring back the lights and draw the line at crackers. Allow your creative juices to flow freely and engage in something which gives you a chance to follow your passions. Last but not the least, do take safety precautions seriously and celebrate a Diwali safe from crackers and Covid.
This article titled ‘A CRACKING DIWALI’ is solely written by me and has not been taken from any other source. If taken I have given due credit to the author in my article. I have not used any images or text without the original author’s permission. I take sole responsibility for any dispute that may arise in terms of copyright regarding this article.