Where Is The Sense?

5th November throughout the world is Guy Fawkes Day, which is celebrated by bursting firecrackers. 5th November, 2010 in India was Diwali, (the Festival of Lights for the uninitiated) which was celebrated by bursting firecrackers in perhaps much more a proportion compared to the ones blown for Guy Fawkes.


Last night was living hell. Literally. It was blazing on a November night. At a time when the fan is usually on 3, I would've loved having an Air Conditioner in the house. The smoke from the crackers was enough to suffocate an asthma patient! And the noise... Well the lesser said the better!


I woke up this morning quite early because I had to be at church for some work. I had a good night's sleep, not because the crackers had stopped bursting but because I'm a heavy sleeper, and I was tired the previous day. So cheerful that I was, I stepped out my building into the compound, and the sight was a dismay. Firecrackers littered everywhere on grey concrete which had turned black in many places, plus their boxes strewn across the compound. Even the garden was not spared.


I moved onto the road and as it was around 7am, the sweepers had not swept the roads yet. Well, I think they wouldn't have liked sweeping the road that day. I went along my way just wondering at the people's apathy towards the situation.


Considering that public awareness is at a high nowadays: Textbooks are full of chapters explaining the ill-effects of firecrackers. TV, newspapers, internet are not behind in teaching one the harm involved in using firecrackers. And yet, why do people choose to ignore them? Do they not care about the environment? Do they not care about the others? Do they not care about themselves? Does the pleasure they derive while watching a rocket burst into the air and make 'beautiful' designs exceed that of watching an intricate rangoli being made or of watching the diya burning away into the night? Are we really a people who can't do without the noise? I don't have any answers. I can just hope.