Diwali is quite at our doorstep and preparations are on in full swing all over the country. Which means there are new clothes being brought, homes being cleaned, sweets and gifts being ordered and last, but not the least, firecrackers being purchased.
But alas, the only bursting that’ll be happening in Delhi-NCR this Diwali is the bursting of their happy bubble, courtesy the Supreme Court of India.
In order to keep the nuisance of air pollution in check, the Supreme Court has announced a ban on the sale of crackers till October 31st in The National Capital Region.
Hear that pop? Yeah, that’s the sound of pataka enthusiasts’ hearts breaking all over the Delhi-NCR region.
This order, passed by the SC bench headed by Justice A K Sikri, partially reverses a previous order from September 12th, which had temporarily lifted the stay on the manufacturing and sale of firecrackers.
The stay was a result of an even earlier order from November last year when the SC had directed the Central Government to suspend licences of firecracker manufacturers and not issue new licences until the apex court permitted it again.
However, this ban is only temporary, and the sale can resume from November 1st.
So, of course, can outrage over the ban be far behind?
Some extolled the SC for the decision, welcoming the chance of some breathable air in the otherwise overly-polluted capital region. Others wasted no time in launching into overtly communal arguments, claiming that the SC had no right to interfere with anyone’s religious celebrations.
We bring you a choice few of the lot.
1) Supreme Court who?
No firecracker sale in Delhi-NCR this Diwali.
Why should SC decide pollution vs celebration? What's the elected legislature's role then?— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) October 9, 2017
2) Yeh Hai (SC Ka) Jalwa!
#crackerban
SC- No crackers.
People – pic.twitter.com/1mYa0oQwPI— || धर्मात्मा || (@Dharmatma_Abhi) October 9, 2017
3) Umm… okay?
Supreme Court bans firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.. The Judge delivers this judgement while eating delicious Biryani & smoking a Cigar.
— Paresh Rawal fan (@Babu_Bhaiyaa) October 9, 2017
4) Summon the Gangs of NCR because Ab Dangal Hoga.
people of twitter after SC verdict on firecrackers ban in Delhi-NCR
😂😂 pic.twitter.com/sLhHzjtehQ— Amit Kumar Sindhi 🇮🇳 (@AMIT_GUJJU) October 9, 2017
5) Batman: Tu jaanta nahin mera baap kaun hai!
Dilli Police: He ded. Lol!
Batman: "I'm vengeance. I'm the night. I am Batman." *throws smoke bomb*
Dilli police: "Oyeeee idhar aa hero, kahan se mila yeh bomb tereko be pata hai kitna pollution hai Delhi-NCR me"
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) October 9, 2017
6) Okay, too much cello tape IS a legit nuisance!
List of things Supreme Court should ban on Diwali :
1. Bathing
2. Gifting cups
3. Relatives
4. Excessive cello tape on gifts— Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) October 9, 2017
7) Have you ever considered the amount of air pollution eating Mooli causes?
No! You only think about yourself!
Other things to ban in Delhi
Cigarettes
Cars
Factories
Mooli— Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) October 9, 2017
8) Woh history hi kya jo repeat na ho!
Just remember people, last ruler to ban crackers in Delhi was Aurangzeb, 350 years back. #crackerban #DelhiNCR
— Saving Humanity by Strategic Lockdown Jagga (@MaheshJagga) October 9, 2017
9) We get your point, but cool the jets a little? It’s the SC for crying out loud!
Why not #CrackerBan on every occasion.
New years day, IPL opening ceremony ? There R countless orders of SC, but who cares. Delhi-NCR pic.twitter.com/9Od8oFItba— Raushan Raj (@AskRaushan) October 9, 2017
10) OMG Noooo! How will we send those ‘proud to be Indian’ Whatsapp forwards then? *cries*
Will miss seeing Delhi-NCR in NASA's Diwali picture this year.
— Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) October 9, 2017
Clearly, a majority of people seem utterly displeased by this cracker ban. We won’t try and convince anyone to see the merit in this decision because things tend to get quite… umm… religious and consequently touchy.
What we’ll do instead is leave this photo of Delhi, taken last year during Diwali.
Maybe banning isn’t the right thing to do. Maybe it is. But the stark reality is that the menace of pollution in Delhi is quite real. Zero visibility is not a joke. The smog-covered streets where accidents are waiting to happen cannot be ignored much longer.
And any step, however small, taken in pursuit of eliminating this nuisance should be welcomed open-mindedly.
But if you’re mourning the loss of this spectacle, ditto!
