Why I Hate Diwali

[SamantK]

This diwali do not forget these people.

Sivakasi factory fire: 54 charred to death in the incident - Times Of India

Of course, we cannot forget a company not taking due precautions when dealing with explosive chemicals..

 

[Invincible INDIAN]

 

[sachin@india]

saap ki goli ka maaza hi alag hai...

 

[Mirza Jatt]

i like different kind of colourful rockets....nothing beats it.

 

[madooxno9]

kiski acche se PHUK gai hai Accha lagta hai desperate threads dhek ke

 

[IndoCarib]

Does the author hate this ?

London Olympics closing ceremony

Beijing Olympics closing ceremony

New Year eve fire works, Singapore

Why single out Diwali ??

 

[ajtr]

Does the author hate this ?

London Olympics closing ceremony


Beijing Olympics closing ceremony


New Year eve fire works, Singapore


Why single out Diwali ??

Difference is that those were done in designated area by the authorities.Instead of allowing public freely bursting crackers where ever they like its better that local authorities themselves conduct those fireworks show at deginated area like in above instances or like july 4 fireworks.Public shouldnot be allowed to get their hands on crackers.

 

[arp2041]

Well to be fair, i also think that it's better to avoid crackers in Diwali:

1. Many knows the condition of the workers involved in making crackers is Pathetic, they develop cancer & other diseases b'coz of it.

2. It cause too much noise pollution, which can be harmful for many like patients, elderly etc.

3. It's too risky a business, i have heard of so many people burning there hand or getting blind etc. b'coz of crackers.

4. Huge amount of money that is used to buy crackers gets wasted, it's better to give those money for social causes etc. & to make our country a better place to live.

5. One should just see the amount of garbage that is gathered on streets the next morning on streets & elsewhere b'coz of it.

Why not celebrate it with lights & decorations only instead

just my humble opinion.

P.S. Aunty ney pehli bar koi sensible thread chalu kiya

 

[blackops]

Laxmi bomb i use to love them and still do and i love rockets they are fun

God save those who hate such a awesome festival but rather celebrate butchering of goats pathetic

 

[ajtr]

10 ways to celebrate a green Diwali this year

It's not just about avoiding firecrackers and cutting down on sweets -- here's how you can still have fun and make the most of the festive season!

The festival of lights -- Deepavali, or Diwali -- celebrates the victory of good over evil.

The lighting of diyas on a dark, moonless night signifies the end of all things negative.

This festival, if celebrated in the traditional sense, has little to do with fireworks. So instead of polluting the environment with them, go ahead and celebrate a 'Green Diwali'.

Here are 10 creative ways for you to make it an eco-friendly affair this year.
Do not use electric lights to illuminate your home. Instead, opt for diyas (earthen lamps) and candles.

This will not only reduce the amount of electricity being consumed, the flickering diyas will look prettier too.

If you must use electric illumination, opt for LED lights. They use at least 80 per cent lesser energy than the regular ones and also come in various hues too.

Although there are a number of environment-friendly crackers that have begun to flood the market and are definitely less polluting than others, this Diwali give the fireworks a complete miss.

Instead...

Get all the children of the community to go for a nature walk the evening before and collect dry leaves, grass, twigs etc. Then celebrate this festival of lights by lighting a bonfire on the terrace or in an open space and serve homemade sweets and sherbet.

Fill up balloons with glitter or small pieces of coloured paper and spend the evening bursting them, either with your family at home or with a lot of friends.

You could even have the kids blowing up brown paper bags and bursting them by jumping on them. The cheerful sound will be enough to usher in Diwali.

In earlier times, rangolis were made to feed the birds. This Diwali, go back to doing that.

Instead of using artificial colours, make your rangoli with spices and other food items as follows:

For white, use rice powder
Yellow: Pulses or turmeric
Brown: Cloves or cinnamon
Green: Cardamom (chhoti elaichi) or fennel (saunf)
Red: Dried chilly or even kumkum, if you wish
You can even make a rangoli out of fresh flowers -- their fragrance is sure to create the perfect festive ambience.
You can decorate the doorway with garlands of marigold and jasmine and set up vases of roses and lilies. They will enhance the beauty of your house way better than the paper streamers and artificial lights would have.

If you must paint your home during Diwali, then use eco-friendly paint.

Besides, here are a few ideas to decorate your home without having to paint it at all.

Twist colourful saris and dupattas to create streamers. Or paint old newspapers and hang them up as wall decorations.
Use brocade saris or gold embroidered dupattas as drapes and curtains instead of going on a shopping spree.
Use your child's leftover craft materials like tissues, sandwich or rice paper to make paper lanterns (kandeel). You could use match sticks to form the spokes.
Save on electricity and stop using the doorbell for a few days. Instead, hang a bell at the door entrance and let all visitors ring that instead. It will definitely add to the puja feeling.
Bandanwars or traditional door hangings are the first thing that welcomes every guest. Make these with leftover papers or bright coloured cloth and then add glitter or paper flowers to them.
Don't throw away any fused incandescent bulbs. Instead, turn them into small flower vases by placing an orchid in the centre as a decorative accessory. You can also paint them different colours and hang them from the ceiling.
Use organic incense sticks and fresh flowers to create that heady fragrance that one associates with a puja. Do away with the synthetic room fresheners.

Although innumerable options are available commercially, many of them come with artificial colours and way too much sugar.

So this Diwali make your own sweets instead, using only natural products like milk, chickpea flour (besan), coconut, jaggery, dry fruits, sugar etc and keep them both nutritious and unadulterated.

Some of the choicest Diwali sweets you can try making at home would be:

Laddoos made of besan and rava (semolina)
Barfi made of coconut and milk
Kheer made of milk, rice and jiggery
Shakkarpare made of flour, ghee and sugar
Gajar ka halwa made of carrots and milk

Instead of buying expensive crockery for all your parties this festive season, go traditional and stay eco-friendly. Use banana leaves and small earthen glasses to serve the guests.

Organise community competitions both for adults and for the children. Some options:

Rangoli competition
Flower arrangement competition
Sweet-making competition
Paper lantern competition for kids
Organise music programmes, puppet shows, talent shows and other cultural events
Throw a dance party. All you need is a music player and you will have all the sound you need without crackers. It will also be less expensive.

If you are shopping for gifts, don't buy any wrapping paper; save on it and stop trees from being cut.

Instead, wrap your gifts with painted newspaper / make your own gift bags with newspaper / use pieces of cloth lying about in the house, which you can embroider or handpaint, or even jute.

As for the gifts, instead of buying them, this year make them at home. Some options:

Bake cookies or cakes
Make homemade sweets
Make candles of different shapes and colours
Paint a picture
Create an artwork by using pieces of bright coloured cloth on a canvas
A potted paper plant or a bouquet of paper flowers
Try your hand at pottery and make a small decorative vase
If you do want to go ahead and buy your gifts, then:

Opt for organic cosmetics, plants (or seeds), dry fruit, art work, wind chimes etc.
Gift likenesses of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to your near and dear ones -- the traditional silver coins are in accordance with a green Diwali.
You can even draw pictures of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on wet mud with the help of an old pen, or even a matchstick. Let this dry in the sun and then paint it using natural vegetable and fruit colours. Another option is to take a dry leaf and paint on it, or stick pictures of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi underneath. You can also use betel or a square piece of banana leaf and paint the picture of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi with kumkum on it.

Make your own Diwali cards this year.

Cut out pictures and stick them on craft paper to make your very own customised rangoli drawing on the card.

Use kumkum and haldi to create Goddess Lakshmi's footprints on your card.

You can even use ribbons, bindis, old clips and pieces of cloth to design your card with bright colours.

If making cards is not your forte, go tech savvy. This year just tweet, Facebook or simply SMS your wishes. Spread the word.

 

[ajtr]

Instead of spending hours bursting crackers or drinking and partying, spend some time with underprivileged children.

Donate old clothes, stationary etc, play games with them or make sweets at home and celebrate Diwali with them.

Share your smile and spread cheer during this Festival of Lights.

You can also visit an old-age home and spend time with the elders sharing stories, listening to songs from old movies and eating good food.

When you go shopping, lend a helping hand to the elderly.

Arrange for an afternoon of mehendi sessions for all the ladies in your neighbourhood.

Spend an evening filled with card games and lots of sweet and salted snacks with everyone who lives nearby.

With these simple tips, I wish everyone a very Happy Diwali! I wish all of you a lot of happiness, health, prosperity and safety.

This year, let's try and make the festival more meaningful and delightful. Let us promise that in our pursuit of happiness, we will not harm the environment and ourselves.

Green, loud, or a 50-50 Diwali?

As more RWAs implement a pollution-free Diwali this year, there are those who've complied, but also those who're in no mood to listen.

No smoke, no noise

Several housing societies have been professing a clean and safe Diwali, and the recent smog has only added to takers of the idea. For example, Sahyog RWA in Patel Nagar has decided to have an eco-friendly Diwali this year. "Many feel that bursting crackers is how Diwali should be celebrated. But this year, we have taken up the responsibility of celebrating a noiseless Diwali," says KL Suri, the treasurer, "We will have a Diwali party in the compound, and we've organised games, contests, and singing and dance competitions." Then there are the colonies which have been doing this for years now, such as Safdarjung Enclave. "All through the year, people are busy. But we ensure that everyone gets together on Diwali eve, and that too, without any noise," says Pankaj Agarwal, general secretary, Safdarjung Enclave RWA, adding that they host a lunch for the residents on the day of Diwali. "At the lunch, people come and deposit a gift at the counter. While leaving, they pick up a gift left by somebody else," says Agarwal.

However, convincing children for a crackerless Diwali isn't as easy. So, Safdarjung Enclave RWA is hosting a bash just for kids. "We are hosting a get-together for children where there will be no interference from elders," informs Agarwal. Says Vinod Pant, a resident of Sector A, Pocket C, Vasant Kunj, "School children are creating awareness about not bursting crackers in our society. The number of people doing so has come down considerably because schools have been actively promoting a crackerless Diwali."

The middle ground

The idea of an eco-friendly Diwali may cut more ice with adults than with children, as for them, the meaning of the festival is, literally, having a blast. But somewhere, their conscience has allowed them to bend a little bit, and RWAs have managed to chalk out a compromise.

Mamta (name changed), a resident of Safdarjung Enclave, says, "Last year, we tried to celebrate Diwali without crackers, but children were very upset. This time, we've worked out a middle path, asking kids to light phuljadis, anaars and chakris, instead of bombs and chatais." Rohit Bhatnagar, general secretary, Chitra Vihar RWA, Laxmi Nagar, adds, "This festival is mainly for children. So, we issue a circular requesting parents and kids not to burst bombs and chatais. It has worked, because last year, we saw a decrease in pollution levels in our society." SR Sangar, general secretary, Federation of Indraprastha Ext-II Housing Societies, says, "Like schools, we are making children aware, and asking them to light phuljadis rather than loud crackers."

Kabir Gulnar, 21, who lives in West Delhi, says, "I'll burst crackers that emit bright light, but very little noise and smoke. Called Sky Shots, they are expensive, but at least I am not adding to the smog."
We're not letting eco-killjoys spoil Diwali!

However, there are those kids who're refusing to let the eco-bummer spoil their Diwali. "Diwali is all about lights and sounds. Can you imagine a silent Diwali? Please don't dampen the festive spirit. These are stupid appeals that no one will follow," says Manish Gosain, 17, a resident of central Delhi. "Why can't the government do anything about pollution during the rest of the year? They won't do anything on their part, and they expect us to stay away from crackers," fumes Neha Jain, 19, a student of IP University.
Even though many youngsters admit that pollution is a matter of concern, they assert that they won't say no to crackers, and those telling them to avoid crackers are the ones who have already had their fill in their youth. Varun Malhotra, 22, who lives in Patel Nagar, says, "Since we won't be allowed to burst crackers on Diwali, because our RWA is also having an eco-friendly Diwali this year, I burst lots of crackers two days before the festival. Now, I have no regrets."

Why can't the government do anything about pollution during the rest of the year? They won't do anything, and they expect us to stay away from crackers - Neha Jain, 19

We won't be allowed to burst crackers on Diwali because of our RWA. so, I burst lots of crackers two days ago. Now, I have no regrets - Varun Malhotra, 22

 

[ajtr]

Out with the smoke, young want green Diwali

LUDHIANA: Traditionally, Ludhiana erupts in a frenzy of sound and smoke every Diwali and over the years, decibel levels of crackers have come to be measured as an indication of family status. But all that could change, thanks to a generation concerned about the depleting greenery around.

Youngsters in the bustling industrial city will try to persuade their elders to make it an eco-friendly Diwali. The youngsters are rather keyed up about the idea. Take 16-year-old Anudeep Kaur from Dugri for instance. She is busy making charts and designing pamphlets along with 5 friends. "We will conduct drives and campaigns in and outside schools to make people aware of the pollution caused by crackers," an enthusiastic Anudeep said. The new catchphrase of the city's young, 'Say No Crackers,' has also appeared on social networking sites.Sarvesha Arya, a resident of Model Town, is using her social networking site to spread the message of a greener and safer Diwali. She has also requested friends and family to light diyas and candles instead of wasting electricity with decorative lighting.

For those who argue that a day of bursting crackers would not have an impact on the environment, there are people like Yashasvi Aneja, a 15 year old youngster resident of Model Town and a member of the Environment Club of BCM.

 

[Trisonics]

Happy Diwali Ajtr!

 

[CZAR]

This diwali do not forget these people.

Sivakasi factory fire: 54 charred to death in the incident - Times Of India

Your confused, as always.

The issue of preventing child labour or ensuring adherence to fire safety norms in sivakasi is different from abstaining from lighting crackers on diwali.

Don't forget that the firecracker units in sivakasi are an example of a homegrown industry and provide the only source of employment / income to the locals. And this makes more sense in the context of fewer alternatives, given the non-arable land in the vicinity.

 

[Invincible INDIAN]

Difference is that those were done in designated area by the authorities.Instead of allowing public freely bursting crackers where ever they like its better that local authorities themselves conduct those fireworks show at deginated area like in above instances or like july 4 fireworks.Public shouldnot be allowed to get their hands on crackers.

Firecrackers are much better then AK-47s, specially in hands of KIDS.