Cracker ban during Diwali has nowadays has become a common theme. Every time during Diwali, one can find news of the cracker ban in some states during the festival of Diwali, Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kartik Puja.

This year too like previous usual years, a Diwali cracker ban has been imposed in certain states like Delhi and NCR, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Chandigarh.

Various reasons have been provided for a ban on the crackers ranging from pollution to the spread of coronavirus. While the environmental pollution due to crackers cannot be ruled out, passing all the blame of environmental pollution on crackers burst on Diwali is not right.

Even before any crackers are burnt, the air quality of Delhi, NCR, and other parts of the country is quite terrible. Hence solely banning crackers that too in the festive season of Diwali, Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kartik Puja is nothing but a face-saving moment for the governments to hide their incompetence.

To date, no government has been able to formulate effective guidelines to tackle pollution. The easy scapegoat for them turns out to be the ban on Hindu festivals which turns out to be quite ineffective. Every year some state government puts a ban on the crackers during Diwali and then hides in their cocoon for the rest of the days.

This year too a ban has been put on crackers from midnight of 9th November to midnight of 30 November. During these dates, the festival of Diwali, Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kartik Puja is going to be held. A major share of the crackers during this festive season is burnt on the eve of Diwali. A few leftover crackers are burst on the eve of Kali Puja, Chhath Puja, and Kartik Puja.

A major question arises: Why only confine the firecracker ban till from 9th November to 30th November. Why not extend the ban throughout the year and ban the production, sale, and transport of the crackers altogether if the leaders are so much concerned about the pollution and coronavirus pandemic. Apart from helping the environment, it will also help the businessmen as they will not have to spend their precious money on buying the crackers in the hope that it will be sold in Diwali and then their hopes marred by the government.

The same people who are seen advising the Hindus on not bursting crackers will be seen bursting and cheering for the firecrackers to burst on the eve of New Year all over the world. How come the crackers burst on the festival of Diwali become polluting whereas the crackers burnt on New Year, winning elections, and other such events become environment friendly.

Hindus have become an easy target to infringe upon their customs, traditions, and rituals. They are being advised every time on the eve of their festivals on how to celebrate their festivals, what to do, what not to do, and various such things.

It is necessary that the Hindus speak up or all the aspects of your religion will be ridiculed. Sooner or later the lighting of lamps too will be questioned on how it helps in global warming and pollution.

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