Letters to the Editor: Rethink on Diwali

Rethink on Diwali

We must express our gratitude to Mousam Hazarika for the article 'A green Diwali: Celebrating the festival of lights with environmental awareness' that appeared in your esteemed daily on October 27. The writer has rightly said that let the festival be a celebration of not just light but of life, sustainability, and harmony with nature. Such changes of our mindsets for the better need to be welcomed. Diwali used to be a festival largely associated with the lighting of traditional earthen lamps before the bursting of crackers came to occupy center stage. Today, with growing noise and air pollution emerging as a serious health concern, we need to have a rethink on the way we celebrate Diwali.

The burgeoning levels of air pollution prevailing across our urban landscapes invariably shoot up manifold during and after Diwali—not to mention its adverse impact on people, especially the sick and the elderly. All this warrants us to change our mindsets and opt for a low-key Diwali instead. The writer's fervent appeal to the public to choose a vibrant and meaningful green Diwali is indeed praiseworthy, as it will not only remove darkness and pollution from our surroundings but also help the earth to shine brightly forever. The district administration should invariably come up with guidelines to ensure a controlled celebration of Diwali, but, sadly, lack of enforcement comes in the way of the desired restraint by the revellers. The authority needs to monitor the situation and act tough on the violators. Instead of spending on fireworks this Diwali, let us spread joy and celebration to the underprivileged by donating sweets, new clothes, and food among them, who have every right to join us in the celebration. Let us celebrate Diwali in a traditional manner with earthen lamps, flowers, sweets, and togetherness to protect our health and that of the environment.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.