Readers tell us if it's time to take a decision to ban all firecrackers

Delhi has woken up under a thick blanket of smog the morning after Diwali. Alarm bells are going off. Particulate matter spike has almost quradrupled this year, as reports after report indicate. The national capital is choking under the weight of its own excesses. On everyone's lips is the question: Should firecrackers - the most obvious devil in the plot, one of the biggest annual contributers of pollution during Diwali celebrations - be banned altogether?

Many in the government and in the policy circles are still just toying with the idea, while others are hesitant to even bring it up for the fear of a backlash. Some rightwing outlets are dubbing the anti-firecracker lobby as a purportedly anti-Hindu propaganda, out to desecrate a sacred Hindu religious festival. Many are fence-sitting, unsure as to how a blanket ban on firecrackers would help when gas-guzzling SUVs and diesel automobiles are having a field day on the streets.

Arvind Kejriwal is suggesting the use of air purifiers while others are sticking to good old masks. But isn't it obvious that Diwali firecrackers are the biggest culprits when it comes to this overnight rise in pollution rates? Should we think twice before guiding our little ones to the fire and smoke of an anar or a ladi when bursting them is equivalent to inhaling over a hundred cigarettes in one go?

The deplorable state of the city, the haze all around and burning sensation in our eyes and faces - all point to only one thing. We have been way too complacent about continued use of firecrackers during Diwali.

But what is the wider public opinion? How do Indians in general react to the prospect of never bursting a firecracker again during Diwali? Is there a consensus at all or is it being construed a rabid, anti-Hindu publicity stunt by those with vested interests?

We opened out the debate to our readers. What they have to say would take you by surprise. Read on.

DailyO readers weigh in.

Ankaiah Gummadidala: Those residing in Delhi should feel ashamed to celebrate in such a fashion the Diwali. Why burn the crackers. Lord Krishna never told any body to pollute the atmosphere. The P.M. , L.G. and Delhi C.M. are answerable for such a mess created by burning the crackers .

Ashutosh Kr: It's as important an environmental issue (or, debate) as it is as a constitutional one. Postponing a stringent law to effectively ban the firecrackers in the name of Constitution, to be more specific, the rights of people to celebrate as they wish their festivals is beyond absurdity. Our Supreme Court should avoid at all cost the conversion of law into an ass in this matter.

Also read - Death by Diwali: When Delhi woke up in a gas chamber