A religion which respects nature shouldn’t destroy it. Hinduism is progressive, Humane, filled with love towards nature. We came up with an initiative to enlighten Hindus. “Redefining Hinduism” is a controversial subject, with readoo we are taking it forward and will be publishing series of articles on this subject. – Nipun Raju
During Diwali, we light lamps to drive darkness and ignorance away to spread love and wisdom throughout the world. Diwali was never about polluting the eco-system. It is more than bursting firecrackers. It is definitely much more than what we expect, It marks the victory of good over evil, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, purity over pollution. It symbolizes celebration but for a Hindu, a celebration can never come at a cost of ‘mother nature’.
Hinduism has always been very proactive about nature. Be it worshipping the trees and different elements of nature or the awareness it spreads for the purity of nature. It has always promoted love and care for nature. So can a festival of Hindus be so cruel to nature ? Never !!
Fireworks are not a part of the Hindu religion and never have been. Fireworks were first made in China in the 8th or 9th century, following the invention of gunpowder. Gunpowder came to India via the Mongols sometime in the 15th century and spread to Europe and the Western world via the Silk Route at the same time. The first record of Diwali is found in the Vishnu Purana. Diwali has been celebrated by Hindus for at least a 1000 years before that.
Fireworks are hit because they are so attractive to see, It gives everyone pleasure. But as humans, we have this amazing ability called rationalizing. We cannot start doing everything that gives us pleasure. That’s what separates us from animals. We don’t eat food off the floor, we don’t drink water out of the toilet, we don’t destroy our TV with a cricket bat, we don’t snatch a delicious piece of chocolate out of a child’s hands just because we can think and judge.
Wikipedia says “At a retail level, about US$800 million (INR 5,000 crores) worth of firecrackers are consumed in India over the Diwali season.” That amounts to so many kilograms of gunpowder and the sodium, barium, magnesium and etc inside them sent into the air while they are burned.
How exactly will you justify the 10 seconds of joy and irresponsible redemption for a year of suffering from these people and the environment?
Moreover, crackers are becoming part of each and every celebration these days: if there is a festival, burst crackers. India wins burst crackers. New year, burst crackers. Election time, burst crackers. Marriage or some family ceremony, burst crackers. The CM or PM announces some lucrative scheme, burst crackers. A movie becomes hit burst crackers. The bottom line is Burst crackers whenever you are happy and where ever you want!
Meanwhile before assuming this article is one-sided/biased, written by a pseudo-liberal. This article is for everyone out there, It is against anything or anyone that harms the environment. Hinduism is well known for its tolerance, No one needs to be attacked, and yes, slaughtering animals in the name of religion is awful for the environment. It causes air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, not to mention animal cruelty and spread of diseases. We should celebrate festivals as a sign of unity and gratefulness, but not in a way that harms the environment.
Celebrate Diwali the way it is meant to be. Illuminate your home and society, use the traditional mud lamps, by using them you would also be helping our cottage industry. Meet people, Have a feast. Call up your parents, your friends, your relatives. Go to a temple if you feel like. Stay back at home and have a good time. Firecrackers are not essential to the spirit of Diwali. It’s high time that such an utterly harmful practice is put to rest.
Let there be festivals and celebrations of Love, Light, Happiness, and Peace…
