The streets in Indian towns and cities, the day next to Diwali, the Festival of Lights present an ugly scene. The streets are filled with paper splits and remnants from the fireworks exploded by the affluent. The "contract" sweepers employed by the Municipalities and Municipal Corporations get up early morning and start sweeping all the streets manually. After sweeping, they collect all the heaps of garbage and drop them in Municipal dustbins. On that day their work goes up 500%, but they are not compensated for the extra load. Thus one man's enjoyment becomes a curse to the other.
Those who explode crackers and display fireworks should have a conscience to assist the sweepers in cleaning the mess before their homes. Then only, they know what empathy means.
At this juncture and in this context, I do not find fault with displaying fireworks or exploding crackers. The householders should find ways and means of minimising garbage and inconvenience to the pedestrians.
The original Hindu festival of Diwali involved only lighting earthen pots filled with sesame oil and bearing one or two cotton wicks. There was no commerce in it. There was no flamboyance in it. Even today 90% of Indians cannot afford to buy and do not buy fireworks. All this Don Quixotism is indulged in by the 10%.
1 comment:
I 100% agree with you.
somehow i didnot think in this angle even though i fall in that 10% people.
Thanks
Prashant
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