Deepawali, which was celebrated yesterday with zeal and fervor, has but left a bad taste or (shall I say a trail?) of sickening noise and air pollution. It has brought at naught the laudable ‘Swachchha Bharat Campaign’ of the Prime Minster Narendra Modi. I do not know what happens to the sensitivity of the people, when they indulge into such unpardonable activities, in spite of knowing the fact that a large number of populace is undergoing through immense hardships caused by disastrous of flood and cyclones in Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Does their conscience not prick them when they mindlessly splurge huge amounts on firecrackers and costly gifts on the pious occasion of Deepawali? I have been told that the neo-rich families became so crass that they spent many lakhs of Rupees on the firecrackers leaving the thick clouds of smokes hanging in the air. These smoke overcasts have aggravated the breathing problems among the patients of asthma and other lung diseases.
The deafening noise caused by the bursting of huge chain of crackers disturbed the sleeps of infants and old alike for the whole night. Patients were the worst sufferers. This has left a big question mark on the purity and sanctity of religious festivals. Those, who celebrate the festivals of Deepawali and Holi in such obscene and vulgar manner are ,without a shred of doubt,the enemies of the religion. But the saddest part of it is that the religious leaders are promoting such stupidity with their stony silence. I do not have any compunction to say that most of the festivals of Hindus have been degenerated and they have lost all the serenity attached to them. It is oft -repeated by every religious and political leader that ‘Deepawali is the festival of victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil’ but when we see the suffocating atmosphere around, we find that in practice it is the other way round. The market forces have complete stranglehold over the solemnity of the occasion. The amount of wares and goods, which were sold during this Deepawali, and the mad rush of the buyers that was seen in the market showed that demonic forces of the bazaar were out in full force to defeat the purity of the festival by vainglory and humanity by barbarity.
Those who are corrupt, regardless of their being politicians, bureaucrats and businesspersons, they are having the final say in giving direction to the festivals. They spent thousands and lakhs of Rupees in distributing and receiving the gifts with no sense or qualm of guilt about the teeming and toiling masses. Common person is left high and dry because he/she does not find any place on their radar. My conscience is numbed with shock when I see these insensitive and corrupt people are on spending spree without any remorse and use these festivals as a cloak or ploy.
I have been thinking since yesterday as to why the religious heads, political leaders , social activists, intellectuals and media persons remain silent spectators on the blatant violations of laws and the real spirits of religion? They appear to have succumbed to the onslaught of the corrupt and powerful persons and allow them to hold the silent and meek majority to ransom by turning the Nelson’s eyes on acts of gross injustices.
It may also be noted here that many years ago the Supreme Court of India ruled that no fireworks or loudspeakers can be allowed to blare after 10.00 p.m. but anybody can see it himself or herself that the judgment of the Supreme Court is violated with the contempt and gay abandon on almost all festivals particularly during Deepawali. Deepawali is no longer a festival of lights, symbolizing the victory over ignorance and darkness. It has now become a festival of show-offs, when rich and neo-rich persons flaunt their wealth and prosperity. I certainly have grudge with such persons who not only make mockery of religion and also cause inferiority complex among large section of the society, who earn their living by honest means or by the sweat their brows. The honest and humble hardly cause or contribute to the pollution in the atmosphere but they are never counted.
It is indeed regrettable that the religious leaders of the Hindu society have never raised their voice against this uncivilized and ignoble exhibition of the rich people. This shows that how effete, weak and unconcerned they have become towards to the society. By their deeds, they have joined the company of thugs and cheats. Their religious practices are ‘phoney’ and therefore despicable
The police, the administration, is often conspicuous by its absence on the occasions. This again shows their irresponsibility and dereliction to the duty. The politicians they abstain from doing any fruitful campaign to get rid of this evil. Media persons and intellectuals are equally,if not more, to be blamed for this growing and skunk like menace. That is why, I say that so long religious leaders, politicians of all hues and colours, police and administration and other right spirited people do not come forward to awaken the conscience of the general public, clever and corrupt will continue to rule the roost. The ‘Principle of Polluters Pay ‘(PPP) is a well accepted theory across the world and the same has been buttressed by the Indian Supreme Court in many of judgments but why is it not being strictly observed is beyond my comprehension.
Anybody who is causing the noise and air pollution must be stringently punished and must be made to pay for the pollution they cause. This would, undoubtedly, go a long way to restore the piousness, the serenity and the sanctity of the festivals. The monsters ought to be killed without any misplaced mercy, please!