Dear Diwali - Why I don’t like the way you are celebrated nowadays

Dear Diwali, When did you go from being the festival of lights to the festival of noise and sound? From my limited knowledge of the Ramayan, from what I learnt from friends, teachers and television, the people of Ayodhya welcomed Ram, Sita and Laxman from exile with Aarti and lights, never knew they lit crackers too. Was crackers invented at the time? So how did crackers become a part of tradition?

I guess this something that we men do, take something, commercialise it and give it a whole different outlook. Just like Christmas Trees and Santa Claus have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, just a commercial symbol of the festival. So how does crackers fit into the whole scheme of Diwali?

Diwali used to be a festival I looked forward to, after all it was the second longest vacation after summer, but now it is more of a headache and dread thanks to the noise and pollution that ensues with it, making me dislike what I once liked.

Diwali meant lanterns and lights, Diyas that banished away the darkness and lit up the darkest of nights. The beautiful, colourful rangoli that adorned the entrance of every house, along with the a beautiful kandeel welcoming you in. And not to forget the delicious sweets and snacks, karanji, besan and rawa laddoos, the chackli, Shankarpalli and poha and chivda, invariably leaving my poor weak stomach upset and in pain from my own over indulgence. By I never did mind it.

We have every right to celebrate our festivals, but it should not come at the grievance or even harm to others. So while we are busy lighting crackers think about the harm the smoke and noise causes to the elderly, those with breathing problem and other severe ailments and animals. We can’t be that selfish.

So why when a ban is called for on crackers, a communal hue is given to it, saying that only a particular religion is being targeted, an age old custom is being targeted, asking for a call on ban for on festive representations of other religions. 

We can always help our children understand that Christmas is more than Santa and Christmas trees and presents, but then would they be willing to do the same with theirs? Also, Christmas trees and Santa Clauses have never harmed nobody, in fact they bring peace and joy and happiness.  They may argue that this is just a “one day” celebration (yeah right), but in that one day more harm is caused than even weeks.

I really wished these so call celebrants of yours minded what they said. They need to be careful cause invariably they are fanning the communal fires and spreading hatred.

Dear Diwali, I don’t hate, not one bit, I just hate the way people have begun to celebrate you. The world is filled photons and neutrons and morons and then some more. And yes morons will never understand the harm that they are causing. Sometimes I wished they swapped places with the elderly and animals so that they may get a first hand experience of nuisance they cause.

We all have the freedom to celebrate our festivals the way they were meant to be. But let us learn to celebrate it responsibly that our senseless joy becomes a source of pain to others.  I truly wish that someday soon, these morons see the futility and selfishness of their celebration, and mend their way.... I hope really soon.