Diwali is round the corner and yet again we see the schools and other ‘environment conscious’ people starting to campaign against the use of firecrackers to celebrate the festival. This has become fashionable in the last few years especially in the metros to spread the ‘Say-No-To-Crackers’ message.



People burst crackers only when there is a festival like Diwali. These are made of hazardous chemicals by people working in appalling conditions. However, the fireworks industry in India employs over a million workers who have no other means of livelihood. As the people working for government and other industries expect (and do get) bonus during the festivals like Diwali, the workers in the fireworks industry can only hope to earn a little more during these times.



Instead of only focusing on the environment and preaching abomination against crackers to the impressionable minds of the students, educational institutes should also take initiative to educate the students about the people (and their plight) who earn their daily bread from the industry.



If the voice against crackers was directed against the government who makes the policies rather than the cracker industry alone, it would serve their purpose much better bringing in not only concern for the environment but also compassion for fellow human beings.