Well u have achieved freedom from Diwali by moving to Pakistan.
Why I Hate Diwali
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Well u have achieved freedom from Diwali by moving to Pakistan.
ajtr
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Firecrackers, Fury & Fulmination
I hate firecrackers. I just can’t stand them and want them to be banned. For the past many years, I have closed all the doors and windows of my home tightly from evening on Diwali day till the next morning to minimise the sound and smoke of firecrackers reaching me. And I support all the campaigns against firecrackers.
I am lucky I am not a kid at a time when firecrackers are disfavoured because they pollute the environment and inconvenience people. I say so because I loved firecrackers as a kid in the 1970s and early 80s and could burst them without facing any protests from grown-ups in my family and neighbourhood and without feeling guilty about hurting the environment. Those were not times when firecrackers were considered such a big enemy of the environment. Today’s scenario when there is widespread opposition to firecrackers would be difficult for a kid doting on them like the one I was.
How things change when roles and times change. A friend of mine is forever upset with his 13-year-old son. While visiting him one day, I found him severely scolding the child for taking meals sitting on a bed. The child likes watching TV while eating, especially when cricket involving India is being telecast live, and the lone TV of the house is in a room that has a bed and is not big enough to also accommodate a table and a chair on which he can sit and eat. My friend gets enraged because crumbs fall on the bed and often get left behind even after his son cleans the bed after his meals. At times the bed sheet gets curry and oil stains.
This friend working at a senior corporate position has been close to me since my childhood and we were classmates in school. I have seen how he had distressing spells at times with his father when he was young. He studied hard and got good academic scores. But he also did many things youths in school and college do besides studying hard that parents find awful. He bunked classes, smoked, drank, had flings with girls and got involved in brawls in which firearms, cycle chains and hockey sticks were used. He does none of all that now and nobody who gets to know him now will believe that he ever did any of those things. But when he had a wild side to his life he made every effort to hide it from his father like any other son. And like all fathers, his father too eventually came to know all that he did.
I think parents have invisible natural sensors in their minds that pick up everything they need to know about their children. And since children are not aware of these fine sensors, they think if they don’t tell their parents they have done something disapproved by them, they will never know about it. A person comes to know of these sensors only when nature installs them in him once he himself becomes a parent. And then he realises that his parents always had the same wireless connection with him that he has with his child.
So my dear friend, a regular guy in every way, gave a tough time to his father and got a tough time from him in return at regular intervals. The way I look at it, there was nothing unusual about this father-son relationship. It was not that they were only making each other miserable. Most of the time they gave ample reason to each other to feel nice. The very fact that their relationship was largely a healthy and pleasant one made the sore interactions stand out the way a small black smudge would on a white garment. An account from the time of the Roman empire has a father admonishing his son for spending too much time in front of the mirror styling his hair and telling him that he would be of some worth in life if he devoted as much attention to his work. So when I found my friend livid at his son for eating on bed, it just showed how some things are not bound by either time or place and are timeless and universal.
After pouring out his emotions ranging from despair to disgust on his son, my friend settled down next to me with the remark that he was fed up with his son and didn’t know what to do with him. I felt compelled then to tell him to not be too charitable with himself while recalling all that he did when he was his son’s age. I told him that whenever he found his son driving him crazy it would be good for both him and his son if my friend remembered how he made his father mad and his father tried to straighten him and made him feel pathetic in the process. History does not repeat itself just in the case of kings and kingdoms. It repeats itself also in ordinary day to day life in ways so mundane that they ring no bell. It does not register always how
neatly life comes full circle.
So like many past years, this Diwali too I will not like it one bit when the bangs, whistles, whoosh, sparks, smoke and ashes of firecrackers surround me from all sides, forcing me to shelter myself in my house after making sure that it has as less contact with the pollution outside as possible. I will unequivocally condemn firecrackers and tell anybody willing to listen that everything should be done to liberate society from them. Children will neither listen to me nor like me one bit for this. And this will infuriate me even more and I will grumble that today’s children have no sense, no awareness of right and wrong. All the while, Time would smile at the timelessness of
certain things.
Have a great Diwali, with or without firecrackers, with or without a dislike for them.
I hate firecrackers. I just can’t stand them and want them to be banned. For the past many years, I have closed all the doors and windows of my home tightly from evening on Diwali day till the next morning to minimise the sound and smoke of firecrackers reaching me. And I support all the campaigns against firecrackers.
I am lucky I am not a kid at a time when firecrackers are disfavoured because they pollute the environment and inconvenience people. I say so because I loved firecrackers as a kid in the 1970s and early 80s and could burst them without facing any protests from grown-ups in my family and neighbourhood and without feeling guilty about hurting the environment. Those were not times when firecrackers were considered such a big enemy of the environment. Today’s scenario when there is widespread opposition to firecrackers would be difficult for a kid doting on them like the one I was.
How things change when roles and times change. A friend of mine is forever upset with his 13-year-old son. While visiting him one day, I found him severely scolding the child for taking meals sitting on a bed. The child likes watching TV while eating, especially when cricket involving India is being telecast live, and the lone TV of the house is in a room that has a bed and is not big enough to also accommodate a table and a chair on which he can sit and eat. My friend gets enraged because crumbs fall on the bed and often get left behind even after his son cleans the bed after his meals. At times the bed sheet gets curry and oil stains.
This friend working at a senior corporate position has been close to me since my childhood and we were classmates in school. I have seen how he had distressing spells at times with his father when he was young. He studied hard and got good academic scores. But he also did many things youths in school and college do besides studying hard that parents find awful. He bunked classes, smoked, drank, had flings with girls and got involved in brawls in which firearms, cycle chains and hockey sticks were used. He does none of all that now and nobody who gets to know him now will believe that he ever did any of those things. But when he had a wild side to his life he made every effort to hide it from his father like any other son. And like all fathers, his father too eventually came to know all that he did.
I think parents have invisible natural sensors in their minds that pick up everything they need to know about their children. And since children are not aware of these fine sensors, they think if they don’t tell their parents they have done something disapproved by them, they will never know about it. A person comes to know of these sensors only when nature installs them in him once he himself becomes a parent. And then he realises that his parents always had the same wireless connection with him that he has with his child.
So my dear friend, a regular guy in every way, gave a tough time to his father and got a tough time from him in return at regular intervals. The way I look at it, there was nothing unusual about this father-son relationship. It was not that they were only making each other miserable. Most of the time they gave ample reason to each other to feel nice. The very fact that their relationship was largely a healthy and pleasant one made the sore interactions stand out the way a small black smudge would on a white garment. An account from the time of the Roman empire has a father admonishing his son for spending too much time in front of the mirror styling his hair and telling him that he would be of some worth in life if he devoted as much attention to his work. So when I found my friend livid at his son for eating on bed, it just showed how some things are not bound by either time or place and are timeless and universal.
After pouring out his emotions ranging from despair to disgust on his son, my friend settled down next to me with the remark that he was fed up with his son and didn’t know what to do with him. I felt compelled then to tell him to not be too charitable with himself while recalling all that he did when he was his son’s age. I told him that whenever he found his son driving him crazy it would be good for both him and his son if my friend remembered how he made his father mad and his father tried to straighten him and made him feel pathetic in the process. History does not repeat itself just in the case of kings and kingdoms. It repeats itself also in ordinary day to day life in ways so mundane that they ring no bell. It does not register always how
neatly life comes full circle.
So like many past years, this Diwali too I will not like it one bit when the bangs, whistles, whoosh, sparks, smoke and ashes of firecrackers surround me from all sides, forcing me to shelter myself in my house after making sure that it has as less contact with the pollution outside as possible. I will unequivocally condemn firecrackers and tell anybody willing to listen that everything should be done to liberate society from them. Children will neither listen to me nor like me one bit for this. And this will infuriate me even more and I will grumble that today’s children have no sense, no awareness of right and wrong. All the while, Time would smile at the timelessness of
certain things.
Have a great Diwali, with or without firecrackers, with or without a dislike for them.
ajtr
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AK-47 koi bachchon ke khelane ki cheez nahi hai jaani. chal jaye to jaan nikal jaati hai unki.
ajtr
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Of course not.Diwali is celebrated in pakistan too.
ajtr
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Yes.... I HATE Diwali!!!
The statement seems pretty harsh, doesn’t it??? You are not the first one…..
A day after Diwali, I had gone to meet up with a friend who had come home for Diwali vacation and ended up having a heated argument with him about the above statement… Yes, the statement does seem a bit exaggerated and too strong, but I do not know how else can I put it for you to appreciate the magnitude of my disgust towards Diwali….
Well, when I came back home, pissed off, I switched on the PC and started visiting random blogs and I thought of writing one just to express my views about Diwali… so here it is…..
This is all my frustration, everything I feel…
The main reason I seriously dislike Diwali is because, on this day, India shows the world how careless and apathetic they still are about the environment and the world. The earth as we know it, is dying every single day and on Diwali, we show it a shortcut to its grave…
Every year on Diwali, 20% out of the 1.1 billion people in India burst fire crackers… and those 20% people burst 1.1 billion crackers compensating for those who don’t burst any at all… These fireworks mainly consist of “things” which explode when lit producing an ear-splitting sound, which is not at all pleasing to any sane human being. By bursting all these crackers, not only those one increase things like pollution, global warming etc. but also child labor and all kinds of other stuff you will find on any encyclopedia, so I won’t bore you with all that here…
My point is, till date, I have not understood the point of bursting those exploding things….. or bombs (the impressive name given to it). What kind of pleasure does one obtain by lighting a spark on an object and see it explode with the most irritating kind of noise one can imagine… kya mazza aata hai, ek awaaz sun ne mein???….. dude, if you appreciate that sound so much, download it from the internet… put it on your ipod and listen to it all day long until your ears burst…
Here, I will even give you the link – http://annoyingnoises.net/.
Why irritate others??
If you are that attracted by the colourful sparks, go to youtube, find your favorite video and watch it till you get tired…
Ok fine, I am ready to suffer in silence for a day, or should I say 2 days before and after the festival… but why have fun at the cost of others and the environment man…not cool at all…. it is so difficult to breathe almost for a week after the festival… I mean, are all other means of fun and recreation in this world finished, that we have to resort to these….. Is there no other way left in which you can enjoy this festival….
Around four or five years back, I had visited Punjab during the Diwali period. A few days after Diwali, I had to attend a wedding. Over there I met a guy, about my age, and started talking to him… few minutes into the conversation he says, ” I bought Diwali crackers worth 4000 bucks this year. How much did you spend?”. I was so amused… I mean.. what should I tell this guy….. how do I explain to him that, you just burnt up 4000 bucks… I mean…. what kind of retard are you…
My point is, “spending” money on diwali crackers can be used as a perfect metaphor for putting your money on fire… or a more general version, throwing your money down the drain…
If I actually argue in person…. and I have… I have got some of the stupidest repartee s… if you are that environment conscious, stop watching TV, don’t travel by car at all….. if you value money this much, stop buying clothes at all, roam around naked…. I won’t even bother commenting on such nonsense….
Here are some other ways in which you can spend your Diwali money,
1. Go to an expensive place for dinner with your family or friends, a place you usually won’t go to.
2. Buy yourself something nice… it could be anything… clothes, a gadget… anything that lasts more than those crackers…
3. Exchange gifts with your dear ones… (something like Christmas)
4. Give it away to charity… there is no greater pleasure…
5. Just for the heck of it, spend a teeny-tiny amount on crackers… the ones that produce colourful sparks, for the kids…
I am not an atheist, but I have never believed in the Ramayana(or the Mahabharata). They are epics, fables, stories etc. But as far as I know, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after his exile, people made the city beautiful by lighting diyas and candles in celebration. That is the true essence of Diwali… Crackers did not exist then and I can bet you anything Lord Rama did not make his people promise that when chemicals are invented and exothermic reactions are discovered… use them for celebrating this day in that particular fashion…
Diwali is like Christmas to Indians. You see the entire city lit up, everybody is happy… houses are renovated, people buy new clothes, exchange sweets… Its an amazing season… why ruin it???
Here are various ways in which you could spend your diwali,
1. Big Dinner, as I mentioned above…..
2. Do the traditional stuff like lighting lamps and making rangolis…. that in its true nature is DIWALI….
3. Visit a nearby temple and light diyas there. I don’t know about temples, but in Gurudwaras…. people light candles and diyas ALL OVER the place… and I mean ALL OVER….. and it looks so beautiful, I can stand there for hours together and never get bored….
4. Gather your family and close friends and do anything…. ANYTHING… go crazy if you have to….
5. Volunteer at an orphanage or an old-age home and make them feel wanted….
6. Go for a loooooong drive with your near and dear ones….
7. Go for a holiday to a nearby holiday spot or something…..
All I mean to say is, there a cost-free million ways to enjoy life and this beautiful world…. why do something that IS costly……
And I shall conclude by contradicting by first statement that I do not hate Diwali…. I just feel that these days, it is losing its true meaning… festivals are supposed to be great noteworthy dates in the mythologies we believe in… not those which shall be marked later as those responsible for destruction of this world….. this world is a beautiful and a precious place…. enjoy it peacefully….. \m/
The statement seems pretty harsh, doesn’t it??? You are not the first one…..
A day after Diwali, I had gone to meet up with a friend who had come home for Diwali vacation and ended up having a heated argument with him about the above statement… Yes, the statement does seem a bit exaggerated and too strong, but I do not know how else can I put it for you to appreciate the magnitude of my disgust towards Diwali….
Well, when I came back home, pissed off, I switched on the PC and started visiting random blogs and I thought of writing one just to express my views about Diwali… so here it is…..
This is all my frustration, everything I feel…
The main reason I seriously dislike Diwali is because, on this day, India shows the world how careless and apathetic they still are about the environment and the world. The earth as we know it, is dying every single day and on Diwali, we show it a shortcut to its grave…
Every year on Diwali, 20% out of the 1.1 billion people in India burst fire crackers… and those 20% people burst 1.1 billion crackers compensating for those who don’t burst any at all… These fireworks mainly consist of “things” which explode when lit producing an ear-splitting sound, which is not at all pleasing to any sane human being. By bursting all these crackers, not only those one increase things like pollution, global warming etc. but also child labor and all kinds of other stuff you will find on any encyclopedia, so I won’t bore you with all that here…
My point is, till date, I have not understood the point of bursting those exploding things….. or bombs (the impressive name given to it). What kind of pleasure does one obtain by lighting a spark on an object and see it explode with the most irritating kind of noise one can imagine… kya mazza aata hai, ek awaaz sun ne mein???….. dude, if you appreciate that sound so much, download it from the internet… put it on your ipod and listen to it all day long until your ears burst…
Here, I will even give you the link – http://annoyingnoises.net/.
Why irritate others??
If you are that attracted by the colourful sparks, go to youtube, find your favorite video and watch it till you get tired…
Ok fine, I am ready to suffer in silence for a day, or should I say 2 days before and after the festival… but why have fun at the cost of others and the environment man…not cool at all…. it is so difficult to breathe almost for a week after the festival… I mean, are all other means of fun and recreation in this world finished, that we have to resort to these….. Is there no other way left in which you can enjoy this festival….
Around four or five years back, I had visited Punjab during the Diwali period. A few days after Diwali, I had to attend a wedding. Over there I met a guy, about my age, and started talking to him… few minutes into the conversation he says, ” I bought Diwali crackers worth 4000 bucks this year. How much did you spend?”. I was so amused… I mean.. what should I tell this guy….. how do I explain to him that, you just burnt up 4000 bucks… I mean…. what kind of retard are you…
My point is, “spending” money on diwali crackers can be used as a perfect metaphor for putting your money on fire… or a more general version, throwing your money down the drain…
If I actually argue in person…. and I have… I have got some of the stupidest repartee s… if you are that environment conscious, stop watching TV, don’t travel by car at all….. if you value money this much, stop buying clothes at all, roam around naked…. I won’t even bother commenting on such nonsense….
Here are some other ways in which you can spend your Diwali money,
1. Go to an expensive place for dinner with your family or friends, a place you usually won’t go to.
2. Buy yourself something nice… it could be anything… clothes, a gadget… anything that lasts more than those crackers…
3. Exchange gifts with your dear ones… (something like Christmas)
4. Give it away to charity… there is no greater pleasure…
5. Just for the heck of it, spend a teeny-tiny amount on crackers… the ones that produce colourful sparks, for the kids…
I am not an atheist, but I have never believed in the Ramayana(or the Mahabharata). They are epics, fables, stories etc. But as far as I know, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after his exile, people made the city beautiful by lighting diyas and candles in celebration. That is the true essence of Diwali… Crackers did not exist then and I can bet you anything Lord Rama did not make his people promise that when chemicals are invented and exothermic reactions are discovered… use them for celebrating this day in that particular fashion…
Diwali is like Christmas to Indians. You see the entire city lit up, everybody is happy… houses are renovated, people buy new clothes, exchange sweets… Its an amazing season… why ruin it???
Here are various ways in which you could spend your diwali,
1. Big Dinner, as I mentioned above…..
2. Do the traditional stuff like lighting lamps and making rangolis…. that in its true nature is DIWALI….
3. Visit a nearby temple and light diyas there. I don’t know about temples, but in Gurudwaras…. people light candles and diyas ALL OVER the place… and I mean ALL OVER….. and it looks so beautiful, I can stand there for hours together and never get bored….
4. Gather your family and close friends and do anything…. ANYTHING… go crazy if you have to….
5. Volunteer at an orphanage or an old-age home and make them feel wanted….
6. Go for a loooooong drive with your near and dear ones….
7. Go for a holiday to a nearby holiday spot or something…..
All I mean to say is, there a cost-free million ways to enjoy life and this beautiful world…. why do something that IS costly……
And I shall conclude by contradicting by first statement that I do not hate Diwali…. I just feel that these days, it is losing its true meaning… festivals are supposed to be great noteworthy dates in the mythologies we believe in… not those which shall be marked later as those responsible for destruction of this world….. this world is a beautiful and a precious place…. enjoy it peacefully….. \m/
1ndy
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ajtr
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They hate Diwali…..
BOOM BOOM, anywhere, everywhere.. its Boom. Big boom, small boom, flashy boom, colourful boom, continues booms,,,,…… all types of BOOM. These Diwali booms have been intoxicating for their exploders. They set fire on the tail and after few moments of teasing silence, big BOOM.... This noisy boom provided immeasurable joy to them. With each boom, birds left their nests, small children closed their ears, senior citizen shut their windows and she shivers.
Shanti hated Diwali for its boominess.
Today she was sleeping happily after evening meal and suddenly a bomb busted ..BOOM. She suddenly woke up and saw some children holding that evil things in their hands. Before she recover from early boom, unleashed another chains of BOOMs…. Shanti’s heart halted for a moment “ Oh god diwali arrived” She thought. She rushed to find place where she can save herself from noise. She went to society garden, parking slots, backyard, passage,, every reachable place where she can go. Night of Diwali supposed to be jubilating night but for her it turns out to be nightmare. She could not find a place where boom has not reached. Her ears were splitting and head was spinning with each boom. Too much noise was unbearable and unavoidable.
Finally she found a dark corner in an empty garage, where she found bit solace. She breathed and sat down, wondering “ what happens to these peoples in Diwali ? Why they turn Crazy and create lots of noise and smoke ?”
Having lost in these thoughts, she felt asleep.
Jadeja( M47) a flabby man, with golden chain dangling across the neck came down with bags of fireworks, mostly bombs and other noisy crackers. Jadeja was owner of famous jewellery shop of the town and have great enchant for fireworks during Diwali. He used to spend lavishly on fireworks, specially bombs ; laxmi bomb, sutri bomb, new Super Atom bomb etc. Certain bombs were banned by government due to their high noise levels but Jadeja managed to procure them somehow, just to satisfy his hunger for more noise.
He parked the car in the garage and locked it, trapping Shanti inside.
Jadeja started bursting his crackers outside the garage. Shanti trapped inside started feeling jitters as she heard human chattering outside.
Jadeja placed a Laxmi bomb, torched it and after few seconds Big BOOM. BOOM rocked the buildings nearby and rattled Shanti.
Jadeja’s ears had no impact of noise. Either he had turned deaf or his ears were made of steel. Jadeja kept bursting newer and noisier bombs to entertain himself while Shanti suffering immensely. Shanti ran haphazardly in dark garage just to avoid the noise but could not find the way out. She tried to open the door but she could not. Poor Shanti struggled hard to liberate herself from Jadeja’s noisy crackers but unfortunately failed at each attempt. She moaned and moaned, hoping someone will listen ! If Shanti would have been human, she could have scream like hell or would have kicked the door to open or at least, she could have closed her ears with hands tightly. But Shanti could not do any of above, as she was a dog. A stray dog… Shanti crumpled herself beneath the car, with a hope that someone will open the door and rescue her from this noisy hell.
Nakhusi was Jadeja’s third daughter. Nakhushi means “unwanted”. An orthodox Indian male, Jadeja wanted his first child to be Boy. First child born at Jadeja’s house was a girl and not a boy, disappointing Jadeja. Second child was also girl and Jadeja disappointed even more. Jadeja family did everything to praise the luck, for third child. They went to temples & astrologers, did fasting, fed cows.. etc.. But again third child was also, a Girl. Jadeja’s dream was shattered. He wanted a son to handle his empire and girls will ruin his vision. Jadeja and his boy-crazy family was so dejected that they named 3rd girl child “NaKhusi(unhappiness)” as that girl was unwanted.
We have society where, boy-girl ratio is steadily declining and tradition as naming “Nakhusi “ is also in practice, simultaneously . This the height of illiteracy ! (A New Name For Nakushi - Indian Express)
Nakhusi is fifteen years old and she has never been interested in any celebration. Nakhusi has been reserved girl all these years. She has been dropped from school after 8th grade and mostly confined to the walls of kitchen. She has developed good culinary skills and that’s the only purpose she had to live for, cooking. Everyone in house, used to praise Nakhusi for her cooking talent and comment on luck of her future husband. Nakhusi used to take appreciation with silent smile but within her she hated these fake verbose. Her emotions have always been confined to herself. She was like deep stable sea on surface with carnivorous angry predators surfing inside. She has just one question to ask “Why she has named Nakhusi ?”….
She was always reluctant in celebrating festivals as Holi, Diwali, Navratri... She could not bear noise as our dog, Shanti. Mostly, she remained inside during Diwali celebrations and keeping herself busy in making sweets, snacks and other food items, just to avoid being outside with family. And family also never bothered about her presence !!
Jadeja wanted hot badam (almond) milk for his guests. Nakhusi got order to make five glasses of badam milk. Jadeja unpacked a banned Bomb call, SUPER ATOM. He explained to his guests that this is the loudest bomb, ever made.
As she was preparing, SUPER ATOM exploded.. BOOOOOM.. Nakhusi closed her ears and collapsed on floor and in garage, Shanti shivered and perturbed animal ran to garage door and started crying loudest as possible seeking attention. But amidst cracking fireworks, who has ear to listen poor dog’s pleas ??
Nakhusi came outside with 5 glasses of milk and served. While serving, her ears heard something unpleasant from garage. She went to the garage and opened the door and found poor Shanti shivering in fear. Their eyes met and she understood her pain…
Nakhusi led Shanti at basement, where old furniture and other material were stored. At basement it was relatively peaceful. Dusty basement was the only shelter for these two. Nakhusi placed her hand on Shanti’s body.. just to feel her shivering … Shanti’s shivering was like echoing Nakhusi’s beating heart. Nakhusi caressed her to calm herself. Shanti looked at Nakhusi, giving a thankful gesture. Unseen bond between two females established.
Today, after years of blockade, tears stormed out of Nakhusi’s eyes.. She hugged Shanti and cried heavily, venting all her pent-up emotions..
“Human are like that only”.. they concluded. They both hate Diwali…
BOOM BOOM, anywhere, everywhere.. its Boom. Big boom, small boom, flashy boom, colourful boom, continues booms,,,,…… all types of BOOM. These Diwali booms have been intoxicating for their exploders. They set fire on the tail and after few moments of teasing silence, big BOOM.... This noisy boom provided immeasurable joy to them. With each boom, birds left their nests, small children closed their ears, senior citizen shut their windows and she shivers.
Shanti hated Diwali for its boominess.
Today she was sleeping happily after evening meal and suddenly a bomb busted ..BOOM. She suddenly woke up and saw some children holding that evil things in their hands. Before she recover from early boom, unleashed another chains of BOOMs…. Shanti’s heart halted for a moment “ Oh god diwali arrived” She thought. She rushed to find place where she can save herself from noise. She went to society garden, parking slots, backyard, passage,, every reachable place where she can go. Night of Diwali supposed to be jubilating night but for her it turns out to be nightmare. She could not find a place where boom has not reached. Her ears were splitting and head was spinning with each boom. Too much noise was unbearable and unavoidable.
Finally she found a dark corner in an empty garage, where she found bit solace. She breathed and sat down, wondering “ what happens to these peoples in Diwali ? Why they turn Crazy and create lots of noise and smoke ?”
Having lost in these thoughts, she felt asleep.
Jadeja( M47) a flabby man, with golden chain dangling across the neck came down with bags of fireworks, mostly bombs and other noisy crackers. Jadeja was owner of famous jewellery shop of the town and have great enchant for fireworks during Diwali. He used to spend lavishly on fireworks, specially bombs ; laxmi bomb, sutri bomb, new Super Atom bomb etc. Certain bombs were banned by government due to their high noise levels but Jadeja managed to procure them somehow, just to satisfy his hunger for more noise.
He parked the car in the garage and locked it, trapping Shanti inside.
Jadeja started bursting his crackers outside the garage. Shanti trapped inside started feeling jitters as she heard human chattering outside.
Jadeja placed a Laxmi bomb, torched it and after few seconds Big BOOM. BOOM rocked the buildings nearby and rattled Shanti.
Jadeja’s ears had no impact of noise. Either he had turned deaf or his ears were made of steel. Jadeja kept bursting newer and noisier bombs to entertain himself while Shanti suffering immensely. Shanti ran haphazardly in dark garage just to avoid the noise but could not find the way out. She tried to open the door but she could not. Poor Shanti struggled hard to liberate herself from Jadeja’s noisy crackers but unfortunately failed at each attempt. She moaned and moaned, hoping someone will listen ! If Shanti would have been human, she could have scream like hell or would have kicked the door to open or at least, she could have closed her ears with hands tightly. But Shanti could not do any of above, as she was a dog. A stray dog… Shanti crumpled herself beneath the car, with a hope that someone will open the door and rescue her from this noisy hell.
Nakhusi was Jadeja’s third daughter. Nakhushi means “unwanted”. An orthodox Indian male, Jadeja wanted his first child to be Boy. First child born at Jadeja’s house was a girl and not a boy, disappointing Jadeja. Second child was also girl and Jadeja disappointed even more. Jadeja family did everything to praise the luck, for third child. They went to temples & astrologers, did fasting, fed cows.. etc.. But again third child was also, a Girl. Jadeja’s dream was shattered. He wanted a son to handle his empire and girls will ruin his vision. Jadeja and his boy-crazy family was so dejected that they named 3rd girl child “NaKhusi(unhappiness)” as that girl was unwanted.
We have society where, boy-girl ratio is steadily declining and tradition as naming “Nakhusi “ is also in practice, simultaneously . This the height of illiteracy ! (A New Name For Nakushi - Indian Express)
Nakhusi is fifteen years old and she has never been interested in any celebration. Nakhusi has been reserved girl all these years. She has been dropped from school after 8th grade and mostly confined to the walls of kitchen. She has developed good culinary skills and that’s the only purpose she had to live for, cooking. Everyone in house, used to praise Nakhusi for her cooking talent and comment on luck of her future husband. Nakhusi used to take appreciation with silent smile but within her she hated these fake verbose. Her emotions have always been confined to herself. She was like deep stable sea on surface with carnivorous angry predators surfing inside. She has just one question to ask “Why she has named Nakhusi ?”….
She was always reluctant in celebrating festivals as Holi, Diwali, Navratri... She could not bear noise as our dog, Shanti. Mostly, she remained inside during Diwali celebrations and keeping herself busy in making sweets, snacks and other food items, just to avoid being outside with family. And family also never bothered about her presence !!
Jadeja wanted hot badam (almond) milk for his guests. Nakhusi got order to make five glasses of badam milk. Jadeja unpacked a banned Bomb call, SUPER ATOM. He explained to his guests that this is the loudest bomb, ever made.
As she was preparing, SUPER ATOM exploded.. BOOOOOM.. Nakhusi closed her ears and collapsed on floor and in garage, Shanti shivered and perturbed animal ran to garage door and started crying loudest as possible seeking attention. But amidst cracking fireworks, who has ear to listen poor dog’s pleas ??
Nakhusi came outside with 5 glasses of milk and served. While serving, her ears heard something unpleasant from garage. She went to the garage and opened the door and found poor Shanti shivering in fear. Their eyes met and she understood her pain…
Nakhusi led Shanti at basement, where old furniture and other material were stored. At basement it was relatively peaceful. Dusty basement was the only shelter for these two. Nakhusi placed her hand on Shanti’s body.. just to feel her shivering … Shanti’s shivering was like echoing Nakhusi’s beating heart. Nakhusi caressed her to calm herself. Shanti looked at Nakhusi, giving a thankful gesture. Unseen bond between two females established.
Today, after years of blockade, tears stormed out of Nakhusi’s eyes.. She hugged Shanti and cried heavily, venting all her pent-up emotions..
“Human are like that only”.. they concluded. They both hate Diwali…
SpArK
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A Festival Of Lights or Pollution?
This Diwali make a pledge to reduce environmental pollution, not increase it.
Do you encourage your kids to burn firecrakers on Diwali? Do you go all out and splurge at the nearest store, so your kids can shoot rockets in the air, light 'anars' and 'chakris'? Here's why you should think twice.
Child Exploitation
Your children are fortunate to be part of the privileged few that can afford firecrackers. But there are numerous children who are employed by the firecracker industry, who sit late into the night making crackers for your children to burn in an instant. Firecrackers are made using harmful chemicals and acids, and these children work from dawn to dusk, breathing such harmful fumes and coming into constant skin contact with the acids. They burn their hands, legs and eyes, and many get miamed for life. The conditions they work in are inhumance, and the compensation, pitiful.
Air Pollution
A heavy smog hangs low in the air on Diwali night and a few days after that. While we ignore the smell - and some even claim to like it - we can't ignore the fact that we are inhaling poison. The levels of sulphur nitrates, magnesium, nitrogen dioxide increase, and these chemicals are injurious to our respiratory passages. Asthamatics, beware! Diwali can be potentially fatal!
Ecology
One Diwali night causes as much damage to the ecology as regular pollution does over the span of a year.
Noise Pollution
'Bombs' are a favourite amongst kids, and the noisier the better. This leads to noise pollution, and a prolonged exposure to such high levels of noise can lead to permanent damage of the eardrums.
Garbage
The amount of garbage released on the day after Diwali is phenomenal. Approximately 4,000 additional metric tonnes of garbage are released in Delhi alone, and twice the amount in Mumbai. And this garbage, far from being eco-friendly, is extremely hazardous for the environment as it comprises of chemicals like phosphorous, sulphur and potassium chlorate, and tonnes of burnt paper.
Accidents
Numerous fire accidents occur every year. Rough estimates claim that nearly 10,000 people get injured by the crackers. Most of the injuries are minor, but cause an untold amount of pain. Most of the victims are children in the age group of 8-16.
School Campaigns
A few schools around the country are encouraging their students not to burn firecrackers. Perhaps it's time you did the same.
Firecracker Display
Take your children to a clubhouse or encourage your neighbourhood society to hold a firework display, followed by dinner. In this manner a lot fewer fireworks get burnt, and one doesn't feel that they haven't 'celebrated' this festival in the manner it calls for.
Harmful effects of Chemicals used in crackers
Chemical - Impact
Copper - Irritation of respiratory tract
Cadmium - Anemia and damage to kidney
Lead - Affects the nervous system
Magnesium - Its dust and fumes cause metal fume fever
Sodium - Reacts violently with moisture and can attack the skin.
Zinc - Leads to vomiting
Nitrate - Could lead to mental impairment
Nitrite - Could lead to coma
I hope at some point of time in their life, people will realise it is better to love and care nature than spending hard earned money to just hear a loud noise. Call me backward, call me whatever, i have made my diwali a silent pollution free , ecofriendly one- SpArK
This Diwali make a pledge to reduce environmental pollution, not increase it.
Do you encourage your kids to burn firecrakers on Diwali? Do you go all out and splurge at the nearest store, so your kids can shoot rockets in the air, light 'anars' and 'chakris'? Here's why you should think twice.
Child Exploitation
Your children are fortunate to be part of the privileged few that can afford firecrackers. But there are numerous children who are employed by the firecracker industry, who sit late into the night making crackers for your children to burn in an instant. Firecrackers are made using harmful chemicals and acids, and these children work from dawn to dusk, breathing such harmful fumes and coming into constant skin contact with the acids. They burn their hands, legs and eyes, and many get miamed for life. The conditions they work in are inhumance, and the compensation, pitiful.
Air Pollution
A heavy smog hangs low in the air on Diwali night and a few days after that. While we ignore the smell - and some even claim to like it - we can't ignore the fact that we are inhaling poison. The levels of sulphur nitrates, magnesium, nitrogen dioxide increase, and these chemicals are injurious to our respiratory passages. Asthamatics, beware! Diwali can be potentially fatal!
Ecology
One Diwali night causes as much damage to the ecology as regular pollution does over the span of a year.
Noise Pollution
'Bombs' are a favourite amongst kids, and the noisier the better. This leads to noise pollution, and a prolonged exposure to such high levels of noise can lead to permanent damage of the eardrums.
Garbage
The amount of garbage released on the day after Diwali is phenomenal. Approximately 4,000 additional metric tonnes of garbage are released in Delhi alone, and twice the amount in Mumbai. And this garbage, far from being eco-friendly, is extremely hazardous for the environment as it comprises of chemicals like phosphorous, sulphur and potassium chlorate, and tonnes of burnt paper.
Accidents
Numerous fire accidents occur every year. Rough estimates claim that nearly 10,000 people get injured by the crackers. Most of the injuries are minor, but cause an untold amount of pain. Most of the victims are children in the age group of 8-16.
School Campaigns
A few schools around the country are encouraging their students not to burn firecrackers. Perhaps it's time you did the same.
Firecracker Display
Take your children to a clubhouse or encourage your neighbourhood society to hold a firework display, followed by dinner. In this manner a lot fewer fireworks get burnt, and one doesn't feel that they haven't 'celebrated' this festival in the manner it calls for.
Harmful effects of Chemicals used in crackers
Chemical - Impact
Copper - Irritation of respiratory tract
Cadmium - Anemia and damage to kidney
Lead - Affects the nervous system
Magnesium - Its dust and fumes cause metal fume fever
Sodium - Reacts violently with moisture and can attack the skin.
Zinc - Leads to vomiting
Nitrate - Could lead to mental impairment
Nitrite - Could lead to coma
I hope at some point of time in their life, people will realise it is better to love and care nature than spending hard earned money to just hear a loud noise. Call me backward, call me whatever, i have made my diwali a silent pollution free , ecofriendly one- SpArK
ajtr
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- May 25, 2010
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6 ways to celebrate Diwali without crackers
This festive season, The Alternative asks you to look at Diwali for what it is really meant to be about- spreading joy, love and laughter – and not a wasteful, harmful and an inhumane festive revelry.
It would be the easiest thing in the world to believe that we Indians lack conscience. Otherwise how do we let children die in firecracker making facilities year after year and yet still burst crackers with such joy? While the government still decides on steps to make these factories safer, we can look at way to celebrate Diwali without crackers.
1. Give: Your time and the money you would have spent on crackers. And it’s not as hard as it sounds. 16 year old Sriya from Chennai has an even better idea. “After the traditional cleaning at home, I always have stuff I know I won’t use again,” she says. “I take them to the various NGOs in the city who can use it for the children or old people they serve.” She is sick of hearing about children getting burnt or injured making crackers. She stopped bursting then when she was 10. Her mum gave an option. “We would spend about Rs 1000 on crackers,” she says. “When the children didn’t want them, I started donating this to charity. I feel we have finally understood the spirit of the festival.”
2. Go natural: Ruma Ghosh of Kolkata is an English teacher in a leading school in the city. Every Diwali her class makes the lamps that lights their house during the festival. “They have fun and learn useful skills,” she says. The last two Diwalis saw her invite her students to her house to eat sweets and make lamps. “That was 15 students less bursting crackers that day,” she says.
She also has a new project for her students this time. “Instead of crackers, we are going to plant trees,” she says. “The children will gather in the school and pay with the mud and water while planting the sapling instead of causing more pollution with crackers.”
3. Save animals: Hemlata (STD XI) of Chennai was sick last Diwali. As she lay in bed, missing the fun, her dog gave her company. “The noise from crackers scares him,” she says. “I could see how happy he was that I wasn’t out there doing things that he hates so much.” She is going cracker free this Diwali and also volunteering this Diwali at an animal shelter.
4. Cut out the noise: Kanak from Kolkatta has a good reason to go without crackers. “Diwali means holidays for every member of my beloved family. It’s a time to get together, share concerns and simply talk,” he says. “We rarely get the whole family together. When we do I want to hear is their voices, not get deafened by noisy crackers.” This Diwali cut out the noise.
5. Adding colour: “Crackers add noise, rangolis add colour,” believes Sudha Raghunathan. She bursts no crackers. Instead in the light of handmade earthen lamps she makes the biggest rangoli with the kids in her area.
6. Community celebrations: The Triparna housing Society in Kolkatta has come up with a way. They gather together and celebrate the festival as one community instead of individual celebrations and use smokeless environmentally friendly crackers made out of recycled paper. These crackers produce bright colors and little smoke when they burst. “They are more expensive than the conventional ones,” says Puja Secretary Rani Basu. “But since it’s a single celebration we all pay towards the costs and limit it to about three hours in the evening.”
This festive season, The Alternative asks you to look at Diwali for what it is really meant to be about- spreading joy, love and laughter – and not a wasteful, harmful and an inhumane festive revelry.
It would be the easiest thing in the world to believe that we Indians lack conscience. Otherwise how do we let children die in firecracker making facilities year after year and yet still burst crackers with such joy? While the government still decides on steps to make these factories safer, we can look at way to celebrate Diwali without crackers.
1. Give: Your time and the money you would have spent on crackers. And it’s not as hard as it sounds. 16 year old Sriya from Chennai has an even better idea. “After the traditional cleaning at home, I always have stuff I know I won’t use again,” she says. “I take them to the various NGOs in the city who can use it for the children or old people they serve.” She is sick of hearing about children getting burnt or injured making crackers. She stopped bursting then when she was 10. Her mum gave an option. “We would spend about Rs 1000 on crackers,” she says. “When the children didn’t want them, I started donating this to charity. I feel we have finally understood the spirit of the festival.”
2. Go natural: Ruma Ghosh of Kolkata is an English teacher in a leading school in the city. Every Diwali her class makes the lamps that lights their house during the festival. “They have fun and learn useful skills,” she says. The last two Diwalis saw her invite her students to her house to eat sweets and make lamps. “That was 15 students less bursting crackers that day,” she says.
She also has a new project for her students this time. “Instead of crackers, we are going to plant trees,” she says. “The children will gather in the school and pay with the mud and water while planting the sapling instead of causing more pollution with crackers.”
3. Save animals: Hemlata (STD XI) of Chennai was sick last Diwali. As she lay in bed, missing the fun, her dog gave her company. “The noise from crackers scares him,” she says. “I could see how happy he was that I wasn’t out there doing things that he hates so much.” She is going cracker free this Diwali and also volunteering this Diwali at an animal shelter.
4. Cut out the noise: Kanak from Kolkatta has a good reason to go without crackers. “Diwali means holidays for every member of my beloved family. It’s a time to get together, share concerns and simply talk,” he says. “We rarely get the whole family together. When we do I want to hear is their voices, not get deafened by noisy crackers.” This Diwali cut out the noise.
5. Adding colour: “Crackers add noise, rangolis add colour,” believes Sudha Raghunathan. She bursts no crackers. Instead in the light of handmade earthen lamps she makes the biggest rangoli with the kids in her area.
6. Community celebrations: The Triparna housing Society in Kolkatta has come up with a way. They gather together and celebrate the festival as one community instead of individual celebrations and use smokeless environmentally friendly crackers made out of recycled paper. These crackers produce bright colors and little smoke when they burst. “They are more expensive than the conventional ones,” says Puja Secretary Rani Basu. “But since it’s a single celebration we all pay towards the costs and limit it to about three hours in the evening.”
ajtr
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- May 25, 2010
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Diwali: Spare a thought for children of Sivakasi
One of the first things that we would be looking in a yearly calendar is the day Diwali would be celebrated. The Indians living in India would be itching to celebrate while the Indians living abroad would make sure their Indian holiday plans are in sync with Diwali time. Joy derived from triumph of good over evil is the hallmark of Diwali. However, there are certain sections of people who need to be remembered, the same people who are the catalyst for making your Diwali as colourful as you want to be.
Every year, 90 per cent of the crackers for Diwali are made from a small place called Sivakasi in South India. This is the capital of the fireworks industry in India and one of the leading centers across the world. After Lui Yang, the Chinese city which is leader in the world production of crackers, Sivakasi is the next hub for global fireworks industries. This is something that we should be proud about, however, this empire has been built on a model of extreme low wages and high casualty rates. According to the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TNFAMA), 237 lives have been lost over the last 12 years in fireworks manufacturing plants. In September this year, 39 people lost their lives in a fire at Om Shakti Fireworks in Sivakasi due to lack of adherence to safety norms and regulations in the town. The flouting of safety norms is a norm rather than an aberration in the fireworks industry especially amidst the unorganized and small companies operating across the sector. Even though there has been widespread condemnation by civil society over the state of affairs in Sivakasi, year after year you see a similar situation unfolding. While accidents could happen in any city which produces firecrackers, it rarely happens with the sheer consistency and magnitude of Sivakasi in recent times. Besides the issue of safety, the issue of child labour has plagued the industry for long.
Lets come to terms with this fact; most of the crackers that you are bursting today have had involvement of child labour at some level or the other. Though this is alarming, it is not surprising considering the magnitude of child labour in the fireworks industry across the country. Child labour is regrettably rampant as much in many other industries but the exploitation of children to make crackers that are dangerous is simply unacceptable. According to a UN study published in the mid 1990's there were 30,000 people employed in the match industry and 3,000 people employed in the fireworks industry in Sivakasi; all in between the age of 6-14. Some estimates suggest that the daily wage for these workers is less than 150 Rupees a day; an abysmal reality that makes it almost on par with the minimum wage for workers in the fireworks industry which has been set at Rs 99.98 per day. Besides the economics, the question is why should the children be doing what they are doing? Shouldn't they be taken care of by the society and the state? What happened to the self acclaimed goal of education to all? All of these questions point to a greater role needed to be played by both the state and the society at large.
There has to be a systematic response from the government in terms of legislation that tightens the safety norms and action on the ground with more investment in safety monitoring systems. A report from the BBC states that Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) had just 4 officers overseeing over 1,000 companies and factories in Sivakasi over the last year. Is this good enough? There has to be an increase in manpower in monitoring mechanisms and enhanced law and order which cracks down vehemently on the firecracker owners who are flouting rules. Though there have been raids on companies flouting the law, the issue requires more investment and action. Legislation such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 could be revamped to discourage children from working in family owned businesses etc. In addition, there has to be a sustained effort to educate the public, especially the people in the rural areas, on the impact of this on the children's future in the years to come.
Society needs to stand up and address these concerns. I am not suggesting we boycott crackers but why not contribute to the upliftment of communities in the Sivakasi belt in the form of public private partnership? Why not work on evolving the best practices that the world's leading fireworks manufacturing city Lui Yang has? Why not try and provide education tools to these young kids who are sweltering in the heat with their lives on the line? Why not just think about all that we could do to mobilize non governmental resources for this cause? Why not start thinking about all this during an auspicious day such as Diwali?
As you celebrate this Diwali, spare a thought for the people of Sivakasi; after all, they are the ones who make your Diwali sparkle
Wish you a very Happy Diwali!!
One of the first things that we would be looking in a yearly calendar is the day Diwali would be celebrated. The Indians living in India would be itching to celebrate while the Indians living abroad would make sure their Indian holiday plans are in sync with Diwali time. Joy derived from triumph of good over evil is the hallmark of Diwali. However, there are certain sections of people who need to be remembered, the same people who are the catalyst for making your Diwali as colourful as you want to be.
Every year, 90 per cent of the crackers for Diwali are made from a small place called Sivakasi in South India. This is the capital of the fireworks industry in India and one of the leading centers across the world. After Lui Yang, the Chinese city which is leader in the world production of crackers, Sivakasi is the next hub for global fireworks industries. This is something that we should be proud about, however, this empire has been built on a model of extreme low wages and high casualty rates. According to the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TNFAMA), 237 lives have been lost over the last 12 years in fireworks manufacturing plants. In September this year, 39 people lost their lives in a fire at Om Shakti Fireworks in Sivakasi due to lack of adherence to safety norms and regulations in the town. The flouting of safety norms is a norm rather than an aberration in the fireworks industry especially amidst the unorganized and small companies operating across the sector. Even though there has been widespread condemnation by civil society over the state of affairs in Sivakasi, year after year you see a similar situation unfolding. While accidents could happen in any city which produces firecrackers, it rarely happens with the sheer consistency and magnitude of Sivakasi in recent times. Besides the issue of safety, the issue of child labour has plagued the industry for long.
Lets come to terms with this fact; most of the crackers that you are bursting today have had involvement of child labour at some level or the other. Though this is alarming, it is not surprising considering the magnitude of child labour in the fireworks industry across the country. Child labour is regrettably rampant as much in many other industries but the exploitation of children to make crackers that are dangerous is simply unacceptable. According to a UN study published in the mid 1990's there were 30,000 people employed in the match industry and 3,000 people employed in the fireworks industry in Sivakasi; all in between the age of 6-14. Some estimates suggest that the daily wage for these workers is less than 150 Rupees a day; an abysmal reality that makes it almost on par with the minimum wage for workers in the fireworks industry which has been set at Rs 99.98 per day. Besides the economics, the question is why should the children be doing what they are doing? Shouldn't they be taken care of by the society and the state? What happened to the self acclaimed goal of education to all? All of these questions point to a greater role needed to be played by both the state and the society at large.
There has to be a systematic response from the government in terms of legislation that tightens the safety norms and action on the ground with more investment in safety monitoring systems. A report from the BBC states that Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) had just 4 officers overseeing over 1,000 companies and factories in Sivakasi over the last year. Is this good enough? There has to be an increase in manpower in monitoring mechanisms and enhanced law and order which cracks down vehemently on the firecracker owners who are flouting rules. Though there have been raids on companies flouting the law, the issue requires more investment and action. Legislation such as the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 could be revamped to discourage children from working in family owned businesses etc. In addition, there has to be a sustained effort to educate the public, especially the people in the rural areas, on the impact of this on the children's future in the years to come.
Society needs to stand up and address these concerns. I am not suggesting we boycott crackers but why not contribute to the upliftment of communities in the Sivakasi belt in the form of public private partnership? Why not work on evolving the best practices that the world's leading fireworks manufacturing city Lui Yang has? Why not try and provide education tools to these young kids who are sweltering in the heat with their lives on the line? Why not just think about all that we could do to mobilize non governmental resources for this cause? Why not start thinking about all this during an auspicious day such as Diwali?
As you celebrate this Diwali, spare a thought for the people of Sivakasi; after all, they are the ones who make your Diwali sparkle
Wish you a very Happy Diwali!!
The Green1
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what happens to all the heart patients out there in india?
ajtr
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These kids make crackers to light up your Diwali!
Chennai: As you prepare to light up a sparkler to celebrate Diwali next week, spare a thought for the around 40,000 children employed in the hazardous firecrackers industry in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, for whom the festival simply translates into more forced work.
Sivakasi, about 650 km south of Chennai, is India's fireworks capital. It employs over 100,000 people - mostly women and children. Child labour, therefore, is rampant in this place.
Take the example of 15-year-old Ponnusamy, one of the several children working in a firecracker manufacturing unit there. He dropped out of school in Class 6 and has been working for the past five years.
Asked why and how he got into this work, the shy Ponnusamy mumbled: 'I do what my parents ask me.'
Working for a factory in the Virudhunagar district of the state for the past one year, Ponnusamy has a back-breaking nine-hour schedule every day - filling tubes, cutting, drying, packing and other preparatory tasks.
His daily wage for the long hours is just Rs.60 - which is 40 percent of the minimum wage entitled for adults for the same work.
Similarly, Sekar, 16, dyes, counts, packs, loads and unloads finished products in his nine-hour workday. He too dropped out of school in Class 6.
The two kids come from very poor families, with both their parents employed in the same industry.
What is startling though is the loss of hope that comes across in the attitude of these children and their indifference towards health risks, and even death - apparently because of poverty.
Accidents in the firecrackers factories are fairly common. And even though the local employers' union claims there is no child labour, casualties in accidents tell a different story.
In July last year, an accident in a licensed unit, V.B.M. Fireworks, left three children dead. In August this year, eight revenue and police officials were killed while inspecting an unlicensed unit.
When asked about these incidents, Ponnuswamy said: 'If I am lucky there will be no accidents in the factory.'
And Sekar calmly added: 'The dangerous work is done by the elder and more experienced men. I know there is a chance of a calamity, but then death is inevitable. Of course the chances are more palpable here.'
According to Child Rights and You (CRY), one of the several NGOs trying to stop child labour in the firecrackers industry, there are about 550 licensed units and 500 unlicensed units. In addition, there are some 3,989 factories making matches.
John R of CRY said: 'Despite the worldwide outcry, little has been done by the local government to stop child labour in Sivakasi. The outcry has just pushed the issue underground.'
'Licensed units outsource production of firecrackers to unlicensed, home-based units, unmindful of safety regulations and even the Child Labour Prohibition Act,' he added.
An official of Manitham, a grassroots NGO working on the issue in Sivakasi, said simply understanding the problem is not enough.
'We are raising awareness among parents that they should try and do with a little less money and concentrate on their children's education and health,' he said.
So although they battle long hours of work, health hazards and a lost childhood every day, the only reason these child labourers look forward to Diwali is a chance to make an extra buck to help their families.
John R said: 'We are now trying to deal with this issue by building a state-wide group of small NGOs and people who will act as watchdogs, negotiating with parents and local employers and creating community level vigilantes on child rights.'
The fireworks and matchstick industry in and around Sivakasi is worth Rs.1,000 crore (around $225 million).
Chennai: As you prepare to light up a sparkler to celebrate Diwali next week, spare a thought for the around 40,000 children employed in the hazardous firecrackers industry in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, for whom the festival simply translates into more forced work.
Sivakasi, about 650 km south of Chennai, is India's fireworks capital. It employs over 100,000 people - mostly women and children. Child labour, therefore, is rampant in this place.
Take the example of 15-year-old Ponnusamy, one of the several children working in a firecracker manufacturing unit there. He dropped out of school in Class 6 and has been working for the past five years.
Asked why and how he got into this work, the shy Ponnusamy mumbled: 'I do what my parents ask me.'
Working for a factory in the Virudhunagar district of the state for the past one year, Ponnusamy has a back-breaking nine-hour schedule every day - filling tubes, cutting, drying, packing and other preparatory tasks.
His daily wage for the long hours is just Rs.60 - which is 40 percent of the minimum wage entitled for adults for the same work.
Similarly, Sekar, 16, dyes, counts, packs, loads and unloads finished products in his nine-hour workday. He too dropped out of school in Class 6.
The two kids come from very poor families, with both their parents employed in the same industry.
What is startling though is the loss of hope that comes across in the attitude of these children and their indifference towards health risks, and even death - apparently because of poverty.
Accidents in the firecrackers factories are fairly common. And even though the local employers' union claims there is no child labour, casualties in accidents tell a different story.
In July last year, an accident in a licensed unit, V.B.M. Fireworks, left three children dead. In August this year, eight revenue and police officials were killed while inspecting an unlicensed unit.
When asked about these incidents, Ponnuswamy said: 'If I am lucky there will be no accidents in the factory.'
And Sekar calmly added: 'The dangerous work is done by the elder and more experienced men. I know there is a chance of a calamity, but then death is inevitable. Of course the chances are more palpable here.'
According to Child Rights and You (CRY), one of the several NGOs trying to stop child labour in the firecrackers industry, there are about 550 licensed units and 500 unlicensed units. In addition, there are some 3,989 factories making matches.
John R of CRY said: 'Despite the worldwide outcry, little has been done by the local government to stop child labour in Sivakasi. The outcry has just pushed the issue underground.'
'Licensed units outsource production of firecrackers to unlicensed, home-based units, unmindful of safety regulations and even the Child Labour Prohibition Act,' he added.
An official of Manitham, a grassroots NGO working on the issue in Sivakasi, said simply understanding the problem is not enough.
'We are raising awareness among parents that they should try and do with a little less money and concentrate on their children's education and health,' he said.
So although they battle long hours of work, health hazards and a lost childhood every day, the only reason these child labourers look forward to Diwali is a chance to make an extra buck to help their families.
John R said: 'We are now trying to deal with this issue by building a state-wide group of small NGOs and people who will act as watchdogs, negotiating with parents and local employers and creating community level vigilantes on child rights.'
The fireworks and matchstick industry in and around Sivakasi is worth Rs.1,000 crore (around $225 million).
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