This is a piece I wrote two weeks before Diwali and saved it. Posting it today as I feel it is still relevant and correct.
A forward by someone on not bursting crackers and lighting lamps made me revisit an issue I had debated within myself for years before I came to a conclusion. I am putting down the debate that raged inside me for years.
My childhood was one were festivals were central, be it Diwali, Pooja, Pongal, Vishu, Onam, Christmas or Ramzan. My parents celebrated all, in the true spirit of being Indian. Born a Malayali, but more of a Tamilian due to the state where I have grown up and lived, festivals were celebrated irrespective of the concern of borders.
While Vishu and Onam are festivals celebrated in Kerala, Diwali and Pongal have more of the Tamil culture. Diwali and Pongal were more grand. We celebrated Diwali bursting crackers for two days. Pongal was celebrated for three days, with Maatu Pongal being the best, since we had more cows than children and dogs put together at home. As a kid, I joined my dad in bathing and decking up the cows on all the days. It was also my favourite festival. Only once did I abstain from the celebration, because my favourite cow had passed away.
So, back to the topic. When this issue of crackers polluting the environment was first brought up, me a convent going girl also nodded my head. Science spoke to me, telling me that saving the environment is essential. When I presented this viewpoint once to my dad, he replied thus : "Yes, environment is important. However, there is an entire district in Tamil Nadu where families are involved in this trade, from old people to children. This is the only occupation they know. As a child, they enter, thereby loosing education and the benefit of changing trade. What should they do ?
That set me thinking. If I knew only one way of earning my living and have done that only, what will I do if they shut down factories ? Also, given that no other industry that provides jobs in large scale exists in the district, should a family leave their home and land and become labourers else where ?
July 4th, is celebrated with fireworks across America. Sydney has its own day with grand fireworks. While fireworks cannot be lit by individuals in both these countries, people congregate for an hour or so for fireworks display. Don't they pollute ? Especially with these countries having such stringent environment control mechanisms. I also learnt that some of the fireworks goes from Sivakasi - I do not know if it does, today.
Then, this sudden conscience of people using environment as a reason. People litter on the roads, use plastic incriminatingly, the government directs sewage lines onto canals and rivers that carry life giving water. Vehicles pollute, politicians show their might as a convoy of 100s. There is coal being used to provide electricity which actually is harmful in two ways, degradation of environment and pollution due to burning of coal. We build nuclear reactors to fuel our ever increasing need for electricity, unmindful of the harm to the environment on a daily basis.
So, why this flip during Diwali alone ? Why this act during Diwali ? Why this farce ?
Not courting controversy, not being radical. Why does no one speaks of saving electricity by not lighting up trees and roads for days during Christmas. It will save electricity thereby ensuring uninterrupted supply to interior areas of the country. Or why isn't the mass killing of animals for Ramzan and Bakrid not decried as inhumane especially on the day of a festival ? I remember tring to lift myself into air sitting in a bus, because the bus was driving down the red road on Mehdipattnam, Hyderabad the day after the festival. My friend and I wondered why there was red water flowing till we realized it was blood - of the goats killed. We came back by train from Nampally.
Every festival, irrespective of religion has customs, traditions and ways of celebration. Moderation may be requested always. However, advertising something like doing away with crackers that is the only industry in an entire district upon which survival for millions of people depend is wrong according to me without presenting the other side. Further, what has the government done to provide an alternative ? What action has been taken when there is a fire in a cracker production unit ? How many public servants who have issued licenses without checking requirements have been fired ? What safety mechanisms have you enforced ? What research have you directed to make it possible that people may enjoy crackers at the same time reducing pollution ? And why haven't you banned sale of firecrackers of Chinese origin ?
I read in the papers that the Supreme Court has banned use of fireworks in the capital in the name of pollution ? This order comes in a few days before Diwali. Why not earlier ? How many support this ? Does it's order not infringe on the right of an individual to celebrate a festival, the way it has been celebrated for ages. I do understand pollution and health concerns. However, to reduce pollution, what else has been enforced forcefully ? If fire crackers are not to be burst, why were licenses for sale given to business people after charging them ? Who is going to bear their loss and who is responsible ? Further, personally what have the judiciary/political class given up when compared to the travails of the common man in Delhi ? Will the honourable judges of the supreme court be willing to avoid gas guzzling vehicles, car pool, travel by the metro or atleast give up the two/three vehicle protection they happily carry around ? No politician is ready to, anyways. They keep using vehicles that look like battle tanks on our old galis and roads intimidating everyone around. Or is just a case of enforcing a law unmindful of its ramifications in the name of doing good for society ? Or is it because the elite of elite in India live in Delhi and their lives are more precious than others ? Or is this westernization of India that the elite are happy to take up being enforced on the whole population silently ?
Before clamping down on bursting of crackers, I humbly request the Supreme Court to clamp down on all public transport vehicles that do not pass pollution tests, ask public servants to travel by public transport, not use convoys, ban diversion of sewage into lakes, ponds, tanks, rivers and the sea, ban the use of plastic across the country, stipulate how hazardous things(batteries, chemicals, other waste) have to be disposed and strictly enforce the same with the same enthusiasm that they are enforcing this. Otherwise, it is a farce because you know the common man will not raise their voice together as there is no union to bind them, but factories, especially big ones dirty the Yamuna few miles away from you and you haven't been able to put a full stop after all these years, because they fight using the law of the land to get away.
I remember as a teenager sitting in a train, watching a couple work on red mud near the railway line. Their children were also playing in the red mud. For a long time I watched the parents and their kids, little realizing my dad was watching all this too. I asked my Dad, 'Will these kids be going to school ? '. My dad replied, " They are 'Mannunde Makkal', children of the soil. Their parents are too, like all of their forefathers. Their parents livelihood is dependent on the only occupation they know - the soil and they travel wherever it carries them. So, with parents as nomads, how will the children get an education because their parents will never stay in a place long enough ? The children will start this occupation the day they leave their childhood and then it will be the only occupation they know. So, it will be for their children unless something comes along good enough to break this cycle and ensures their right to a childhood, right to education and right to livelihood. Till then, they will remain 'Mannunde Makkal'.
So is the case of the workers of the firecrackers unit of Sivakasi.
A forward by someone on not bursting crackers and lighting lamps made me revisit an issue I had debated within myself for years before I came to a conclusion. I am putting down the debate that raged inside me for years.
My childhood was one were festivals were central, be it Diwali, Pooja, Pongal, Vishu, Onam, Christmas or Ramzan. My parents celebrated all, in the true spirit of being Indian. Born a Malayali, but more of a Tamilian due to the state where I have grown up and lived, festivals were celebrated irrespective of the concern of borders.
While Vishu and Onam are festivals celebrated in Kerala, Diwali and Pongal have more of the Tamil culture. Diwali and Pongal were more grand. We celebrated Diwali bursting crackers for two days. Pongal was celebrated for three days, with Maatu Pongal being the best, since we had more cows than children and dogs put together at home. As a kid, I joined my dad in bathing and decking up the cows on all the days. It was also my favourite festival. Only once did I abstain from the celebration, because my favourite cow had passed away.
So, back to the topic. When this issue of crackers polluting the environment was first brought up, me a convent going girl also nodded my head. Science spoke to me, telling me that saving the environment is essential. When I presented this viewpoint once to my dad, he replied thus : "Yes, environment is important. However, there is an entire district in Tamil Nadu where families are involved in this trade, from old people to children. This is the only occupation they know. As a child, they enter, thereby loosing education and the benefit of changing trade. What should they do ?
That set me thinking. If I knew only one way of earning my living and have done that only, what will I do if they shut down factories ? Also, given that no other industry that provides jobs in large scale exists in the district, should a family leave their home and land and become labourers else where ?
July 4th, is celebrated with fireworks across America. Sydney has its own day with grand fireworks. While fireworks cannot be lit by individuals in both these countries, people congregate for an hour or so for fireworks display. Don't they pollute ? Especially with these countries having such stringent environment control mechanisms. I also learnt that some of the fireworks goes from Sivakasi - I do not know if it does, today.
Then, this sudden conscience of people using environment as a reason. People litter on the roads, use plastic incriminatingly, the government directs sewage lines onto canals and rivers that carry life giving water. Vehicles pollute, politicians show their might as a convoy of 100s. There is coal being used to provide electricity which actually is harmful in two ways, degradation of environment and pollution due to burning of coal. We build nuclear reactors to fuel our ever increasing need for electricity, unmindful of the harm to the environment on a daily basis.
So, why this flip during Diwali alone ? Why this act during Diwali ? Why this farce ?
Not courting controversy, not being radical. Why does no one speaks of saving electricity by not lighting up trees and roads for days during Christmas. It will save electricity thereby ensuring uninterrupted supply to interior areas of the country. Or why isn't the mass killing of animals for Ramzan and Bakrid not decried as inhumane especially on the day of a festival ? I remember tring to lift myself into air sitting in a bus, because the bus was driving down the red road on Mehdipattnam, Hyderabad the day after the festival. My friend and I wondered why there was red water flowing till we realized it was blood - of the goats killed. We came back by train from Nampally.
Every festival, irrespective of religion has customs, traditions and ways of celebration. Moderation may be requested always. However, advertising something like doing away with crackers that is the only industry in an entire district upon which survival for millions of people depend is wrong according to me without presenting the other side. Further, what has the government done to provide an alternative ? What action has been taken when there is a fire in a cracker production unit ? How many public servants who have issued licenses without checking requirements have been fired ? What safety mechanisms have you enforced ? What research have you directed to make it possible that people may enjoy crackers at the same time reducing pollution ? And why haven't you banned sale of firecrackers of Chinese origin ?
I read in the papers that the Supreme Court has banned use of fireworks in the capital in the name of pollution ? This order comes in a few days before Diwali. Why not earlier ? How many support this ? Does it's order not infringe on the right of an individual to celebrate a festival, the way it has been celebrated for ages. I do understand pollution and health concerns. However, to reduce pollution, what else has been enforced forcefully ? If fire crackers are not to be burst, why were licenses for sale given to business people after charging them ? Who is going to bear their loss and who is responsible ? Further, personally what have the judiciary/political class given up when compared to the travails of the common man in Delhi ? Will the honourable judges of the supreme court be willing to avoid gas guzzling vehicles, car pool, travel by the metro or atleast give up the two/three vehicle protection they happily carry around ? No politician is ready to, anyways. They keep using vehicles that look like battle tanks on our old galis and roads intimidating everyone around. Or is just a case of enforcing a law unmindful of its ramifications in the name of doing good for society ? Or is it because the elite of elite in India live in Delhi and their lives are more precious than others ? Or is this westernization of India that the elite are happy to take up being enforced on the whole population silently ?
Before clamping down on bursting of crackers, I humbly request the Supreme Court to clamp down on all public transport vehicles that do not pass pollution tests, ask public servants to travel by public transport, not use convoys, ban diversion of sewage into lakes, ponds, tanks, rivers and the sea, ban the use of plastic across the country, stipulate how hazardous things(batteries, chemicals, other waste) have to be disposed and strictly enforce the same with the same enthusiasm that they are enforcing this. Otherwise, it is a farce because you know the common man will not raise their voice together as there is no union to bind them, but factories, especially big ones dirty the Yamuna few miles away from you and you haven't been able to put a full stop after all these years, because they fight using the law of the land to get away.
I remember as a teenager sitting in a train, watching a couple work on red mud near the railway line. Their children were also playing in the red mud. For a long time I watched the parents and their kids, little realizing my dad was watching all this too. I asked my Dad, 'Will these kids be going to school ? '. My dad replied, " They are 'Mannunde Makkal', children of the soil. Their parents are too, like all of their forefathers. Their parents livelihood is dependent on the only occupation they know - the soil and they travel wherever it carries them. So, with parents as nomads, how will the children get an education because their parents will never stay in a place long enough ? The children will start this occupation the day they leave their childhood and then it will be the only occupation they know. So, it will be for their children unless something comes along good enough to break this cycle and ensures their right to a childhood, right to education and right to livelihood. Till then, they will remain 'Mannunde Makkal'.
So is the case of the workers of the firecrackers unit of Sivakasi.
