However, as the Hindus’ biggest festival fast approaches, every Bollywood leaders, who are become the present-day liberals, are out with the red flags “Celebrate Diwali responsibly; firecrackers cause pollution, which is harmful to the environment”.
Surprisingly some cricketers, like Indian captain Virat Kohli, have also joined the bandwagon.
But why does Bollywood see the pollution happening on one day of Diwali celebrations?
We don’t see any actors or actresses talking about smoking cigarettes injurious to health and boldly flaunting that in their films. Isn’t Cigarettes harmful in your wisdom?
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
It is surprising to know that Bollywood or the Indian Film Industry has no issues with all the sins in this world. Be it smoking, gutka, drugs or gambling, they are all okay with it as it brings truck-loads of money for them through modelling and event attendance.
However, as the Hindus’ biggest festival fast approaches, every Bollywood leaders, who are become the present-day liberals, are out with the red flags “Celebrate Diwali responsibly; firecrackers cause pollution, which is harmful to the environment”.
Surprisingly some cricketers, like Indian captain Virat Kohli, have also joined the bandwagon.
But why does Bollywood see the pollution happening on one day of Diwali celebrations?
We don’t see any actors or actresses talking about smoking cigarettes injurious to health and boldly flaunting that in their films. Isn’t Cigarettes harmful in your wisdom?
Two prominent actors Ajay Devgan and Shah Rukh Khan are modelling for Vimal Pan Masala. Doesn’t Pan Masala cause pollution? People spit anywhere on the roads after consuming that?
Actually, pan masala is for namesake; it is the proxy for gutkha, which has the content of killer tobacco. So Bollywood is okay with cancer-causing products?
Recently we have also seen that most Bollywood celebrities are also okay with contraband substances like cocaine, ganja, in short, drugs.
But none of the superstars talks about that. In fact, Bollywood Star Shah Rukh Khan is cooling his heels in jail for being caught for consuming drugs. Isn’t drugs harmful?
In Goa, we have seen several Bollywood actors like Disha Patani, Tiger Shroff and many others have attended the party’s on off-shore casinos as chief guests. Does Bollywood believe gambling is good for people?
What say Mr Aamir Khan, you said roads are not for lighting fireworks, but mind you, you have got enough replies suggesting “Roads are also not for N…” But you will not say that.
I have seen only Rahul Dravid talking against tobacco being harmful; why not Virat Kohli? Maybe you and your Bollywood-actor wife, Anushka Sharma can use your influence to ban tobacco in India.
Pollution is now global and is present all year round. Given this preponderant reality, how far is it logical from Bollywood to just select Diwali and tell people, including the children, whom it would hurt the most, that since Diwali is environmentally degrading, we should not celebrate it at all, or at least not with crackers? No doubt it is polluting, but how long does the pollution last? Two days, maybe. Does anyone remember its “evil impact” after that?
All the talk of pollution then meanders into things that actually make this foul climate. What Diwali does is at best a minor add-on to pollution.
So why take away from them the day they love? Moreover, asking to stop bursting crackers is to stop being part of a living history that goes back 150 years at least.
Bollywood has something against Indian celebrations and Indian traditions; they do not like to see the Indians happy.
They will sit in luxurious apartment or bungalows, which has 10-12 air conditioners, drive swanky diesel cars, which is harmful to the atmosphere due to chlorofluorocarbons emission throughout the year, but one daylighting of firecrackers is pollution for them.
It is common folly that when taking on something calamitous, people pick on relatively small offenders. Asking for an end to bursting crackers during Diwali could be one of those superfluities.
Agreed, the firecrackers cause pollution that is harmful to the earth, but is firecrackers only in India for a day going to finish the world?
Why the Bollywood hypocrites do not talk about any other festivals? Are they scared they would face the backlash?
Bollywood stars must know that academic studies, including the ones from IITs, have proved beyond doubt that the commonest sources of pollution are vehicles and construction in urban areas.
And they seem intractable problems. The courts have tried to give some palliative measures, and so have the governments.
Against these giants, the harm done by Diwali is not even a drop in the ocean. Why not let it stay in the interests of our children?
So if lighting firecrackers to celebrate India’s defeat is okay, or for any other festival in India, then for me, it is absolutely fine to light firecrackers on Diwali day, and I would not deprive my children of doing so.
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