Youngsters are moving away from bursting firecrackers this Diwali due to safety concerns and environmental impact. Students like Raghav Chaudhary and Nikhil Shinde shared how childhood injuries and rising pollution changed their perspective. Many now prefer celebrating with family, lights, and sweets instead of creating noise and harmful smoke.
From injuries to resentment over noise and pollution, youngsters share why they have stopped bursting crackers.
For 21-year-old Raghav Chaudhary, Diwali once meant weeks of anticipation, spent planning which firecrackers to burst with his cousin. "When I was younger, the only appeal of Diwali was different firecrackers, especially bombs. I used to go crazy with my cousin weeks before Diwali. That was all I used to care about," said the economics student.
Today, his relationship with the festival has changed. A cracker once burst close to his cheek and eye, burning the skin. The smoke, pollution and noise gradually made him question the practice. "The injury didn't stop me immediately, but later, with age and maturity, I started realising how dangerously everyone plays. You are literally just burning money and creating garbage, pollution and noise for something that is really not worth it," he says. He also began feeling guilty about the environmental damage caused for what he describes as "sadistic pleasure". "Now I just appreciate Diwali for different reasons. It's a time when you are with family and I get to see my brothers and sisters," he adds.
For 24-year-old MBA student Nikhil Shinde, a childhood burn was also a turning point. "I got burned once while playing, and since then I've stopped. My parents also started opposing firecrackers after I got hurt," he said. The family now celebrates by decorating their house with lights and preparing sweets and food. Shinde is also concerned about the impact on animals and the environment. "It contributes to air pollution and a lot of noise pollution. Many people use firecrackers deliberately on or near animals. People also get hurt while exploding crackers," he said.
Tanvi More, 23, a computer science student, remembers getting too close to a flower pot cracker as a child, when sparks flew into her eye. "I became more aware of the dangers of crackers after that. I was always highly empathetic towards the environment and always hated the air and noise pollution caused by them," she said. More gradually reduced her cracker use during her teenage years and has not burst one in more than six years. "I am strictly against it because, except for temporary enjoyment, nothing good comes out of it. The enjoyment is short term, but the damage is long term," she says.
For 20-year-old Shreya Singh, the decision is also about the impact on people and other living beings. "It contributes to air and noise pollution, it litters the streets for weeks, and it is harmful for our bodies. Babies, the elderly, animals and plants are extremely sensitive to it," she said. Singh also rejects the argument that people who oppose firecrackers should give up private vehicles. She added that the government should impose a complete ban on firecrackers. "Politicians love to preach about celebrating a "traditional" Diwali as it was celebrated for centuries, yet it is their workers and supporters who burst crackers in huge quantities as though they are trying to break some world record."
Mohammed Hussain, 22, said he gave up crackers in his early teens, after becoming increasingly irritated by the noise and pollution. "My teachers were fabulous and always educated us on the importance of our planet and the ways in which we can stop pollution. So basically, I gave up years back and never looked back. Now I celebrate it as peacefully and sustainably as I can" he said. Even fireworks at public events and celebrations are difficult for him to enjoy. "They are meant for enjoyment when something good happens, but I can never enjoy them because in my mind I am just counting the number of trees dying with every cracker burst and the number of people having breathing and hearing issues due to them," he added.