Are traditions important than protecting our environment ?

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The Delhi Air Quality has reached the hazardous level and beyond. It cant measure beyond 999 but last night what we saw was a complete disrespect for the Supreme Court order. It cant happen without the endorsement of the top leadership of the executive which has been making war cries like Supreme Court against the Hindus. It is disgraceful that the political thugs are today guiding our destiny and making such disrespectful remarks.

The entire Delhi, NCR today is not worthy visit. A visit outside your home is at your own risk. The air quality is so pollutant that it will definitely make people difficult to breath. Going outside without proper mask is high health risk.

Nobody deny anyone to celebrate the festivals but is this the way you celebrate a festival. We have no problem whether you want to celebrate Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya or Deepotsav of Buddhist community or the Raja Bali ka raj as Bahujan communities celebrate in Maharashtra and many other parts of the country. Every festival has a Bahujan, Buddhist and Adivasi narrative. Your hero can be our villain and versa but one thing was sure that never would one imagine the degeneration of our people into gutter level. It is not possible without the ‘blessings’ of those who want to use this for political purposes.

The Supreme Court had ordered that the fire work would only be allowed between 8 pm to 10 pm and that too in the designated places to be decided by the RWAs and other responsible agencies. The court had also said that no ‘ladis’ would be allowed and that only green crackers will be allowed.
The police and administration was given task for one week to look for alternative. What has it done. It is not the question Delhi alone. The district Magistrates and Superintendent of Police of Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonepat must be taken to task and put contempt notices. You can not allow the blatant violation of the law to happen

What we witness last night was a complete contempt towards the Supreme Court order. The order was for 8 pm-10 pm but it started much before than that but what was very disturbing and shameful that after 10 pm the bursting and crackers started with a vengeance. It was like saying that we will see who stops us. It is the same middle classes whose children suffer from breathing and other respiratory problems. Who has given you right to destroy our environment and health?

The problem is that if you initiate any debate on this in the TV studios, you will only find the Sanghis and their favorite ‘intellectuals’ shifting the goal post and blaming it on Muslims. In each discussion, you bring Muslims and then the issue is finished. So today, your festival is virtually killing our air and the Sanghi photo-shoppers would be busy with their fake news things.

Is this the India we want for our children full of caste hatred, pathetically gender bias and absolutely contemptuous towards environmental protection. Two very disturbing news came yesterday. One was related to burning of four puppies in front of their mother in Hyderabad by some people. The brutality was absolutely like what we witnessed some years ago. Their mother was crying, weeping but nothing happened. The other news come from Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh where a boy burst cracker in the mouth of a girl in Meerut. She is in a serious condition.

The arrogant politicians think that people are fools and perhaps they may be right too. Democracy in India is subservient to Gods and demigods. It has already failed and the god-men are only here to create false narrative so that people remain enslaved permanently. The high doze of brahmanical value system being injected in our blood is nothing but to keep the ruling brahmanical elite in power, both intellectual, religious, social and political level. They are in a fast mode so that they ensure for next hundred years, they keep their hegemony intact but hopefully people of India will realise their game.

It is not merely the issue of the Supreme Court or law enforcing agencies who definitely need to do their work according to law but also our people. Dont we need clean air and environment. How will you make them sensitive when you think everything would be taken care of by the Gods. Religious education must be disallowed in the schools and children must be allowed to mix up and provided some value education which include good things from all faiths including the non believers, science and rationalism as well as respecting environment, protecting our earth from further destruction and respecting women, the marginalised, minorities and dissenters. Feel that they are important for democracy.

For the time being, we will only request people not to kill their own children and future generations through such damaging things. You can celebrate things in various ways. I dont know how people call it celebration when your whole life become a hell. Killing your environment and breathing space cannot be called celebrations.

As I write this comes the news from Singapore where two Indians have been arrested for illegally bursting crackers on Diwali Eve for which they may face jail term for nearly two years and fine of SD 2000 to 10,000. In Singapore, bursting crackers is prohibited and you need proper permission for doing so. There is big lesson for all of us that countries which care for their environment will not allow this to be destroyed in the name of culture and traditions. Perhaps, India will have to strictly follow the environmental laws.

Will people listen ? Will the Supreme Court issue contempt notices against the state governments and implementing authorities like Delhi police and authorities at the NCR ?

Let us hope good sense will prevail among those who have found this ‘unique’ way of celebrating things. Please stop destroying the lonely planet to live. Dont violate my right to breath and live in fresh air.

Vidya Bhushan Rawat
November 8th, 2018