PANDEMIC AND FESTIVALS : CRACKER FREE AND VIRUS FREE DIWALI
Every festival which fell during this lockdown period was celebrated by abiding by the Covid guidelines. This year, to ensure safety of its citizens, the government has banned the explosion of crackers by trying to promote a safe Diwali. With social distancing norms and other Covid guidelines to be mandatorily followed, people are trying their best to maintain festival vibes and spread positivity during harsh times like this.
BY ANWESHA MISHRA
Diwali is regarded as one of India’s grandest festivals because of the illuminations and enlightenments it brings to the country during the darkest hour of the night, followed by celebratory and cheerful vibes. Wherever you go, you witness houses decorated with diyas, lamps and candles. Not to forget the pretty sky shots in the night sky turning transcending the blackness. Diwali is everyone’s favourite for the radiance and positivity it casts upon people’s lives.
However, things took a major turn in the spring of this year. More than half of the country went into lockdown and the world seemed all blank and void all of sudden as if the human race was vanquished. The sudden emergence of the novel coronavirus resulted in an uncalled pandemic whose aftermath was more than devastating. The virus stormed into continents and swope away millions of lives at an exponential rate. While situations seem to have improvised than earlier, the fear of the virus still lingers over everyone’s heads.
Owing to the pandemic, the government of India began to impose strict restrictions while issuing precautionary guidelines for those sectors whose functions cannot be halted. Gradually and eventually, although, the restrictions were loosened, but that did not do any good to the society. The nation seems to have been into recession for the very first time in years and the economy swings between damnation and reformation. Government authorities are trying their best to restore things back to normalcy, while people’s contribution into this is the actual need of the hour.
The much anticipated Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, the most awaited Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and other such anticipated festivals were celebrated although not very jubilantly the way they used to be. Every festival which fell during this lockdown period was celebrated by abiding by the Covid guidelines. This year, to ensure safety of its citizens, the government has banned the explosion of crackers by trying to promote a safe Diwali. With social distancing norms and other Covid guidelines to be mandatorily followed, people are trying their best to maintain festival vibes and spread positivity during harsh times like this.
IMPACTS OF COVID ON INDIA
Currently, India is the world’s virus epicentre with more than 8.6 million cases since the first case was recorded on January 30. It has the second highest number of cases after the US and last month, a government panel tasked with providing projections reported that half of India’s 1.3 billion population is likely to be infected by February. The total death toll is 127,571 and yesterday there were 44,281 new positive cases. Meanwhile, the country’s GDP has stooped down by 23% in the last quarter for the first time in 40 years.
A nationwide lockdown was declared on 24 March, one of the first countries to go for a total lockdown. This move has drawn criticism for lacking in foresight and planning, while attempting to fight the pandemic, the way lockdown was imposed ended up creating a humanitarian crisis of alarming proportions. PM Narendra Modi declared a total lockdown for this country of 1.3 billion people with only four hours’ notice, which had a devastating impact on the lives of 40 million internal migrants.
In one fell swoop, millions lost their jobs, millions marched home in an internal displacement of the kind last seen during Partition in 1947. A sea of people walked silently along the highways, sleeping children on their shoulders, thousands of kilometres from home. Many died on the road, killed by exhaustion and speeding vehicles. In one instance, 16 were crushed by a speeding train while they were asleep on the tracks, never suspecting a train to move in lockdown.
Few weeks ago, the number of positive cases were increasing at an exponential rate. In many cases, deaths of patients with underlying comorbid conditions are not counted as Covid deaths, and there is no data on deaths due to Covid among those who were not tested.
“How much of India’s declining case numbers is down to these rapid tests, and how much of it is a real slowdown is difficult to say,” Dr Shahid Jameel, a leading virologist, told one of BBC’s India correspondent.
PANDEMIC AND FESTIVALS
The virus being so contagious conceived a phobia for togetherness among people’s minds. While a number of festivals were celebrated in a very dull manner, festivals like Holi, Rath Yatra, Durga Puja, Eid were observed only on religious aspects since celebratory norms were not possible. With the festival of lights lingering around us, positivity seems very tentative. Diwali is believed to be a festival of positive vibes and lights, with the main attraction of the festival being bursting crackers. Being used to celebrate festivals extravagantly, the very idea of such restrictions and rules upsets many people.
However, it is not wiseable to celebrate Diwali with grand parties and gatherings during times like these. Due to the lockdown, the pollution level has also reduced a lot, but bursting crackers could reverse the situation. Is the mere display of the festival worth it? The answer is no because public and environmental safety always stands as the first priority.
“COVID FREE AND CRACKER FREE DIWALI”
With so many constraints and obligations, the very spirit of festivals and festivities seem hard to be kept upright. But, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
The very zist of Diwali is illumination and crackers ought not to be the center of attraction all the time. Festivals are about harnessing positivity and cheering togetherness of family and friends. So, Diwali can be celebrated in simple methods as well.
Instead of spending money on crackers, a good sum of money can be spent for a good cause. The money worth fifteen minutes of our happiness could result in another being’s lifetime happiness.
Covid has not only affected us on social and economic levels, but it has done a vast damage to us on a mental note. When times like these demand morale support and assurance, spending time with family can bring on the spirit of festivity. A lavish dinner or luncheon with family and friends indoors can result in great moments of joy, along with a nostalgic trip down the memory lane. Lighting up the house with decorative diyas, lights, lamps and candles will not only uplift the mood but also radiate our surroundings and create an alluring environment filled with positivity.
By reducing the expenses of Chinese goods and purchasing hand-made diyas from local and indigenous sellers, we can also support India’s economy and make our nation a self-dependent nation.
Bursting of crackers will only lead to degrading the air quality around us. Hence, we need to support the notion of a “Cracker-Free Diwali” to combat air pollution for environmental safety. Fireworks were also quite a threat to the lives of many animals and by not bursting these, we can ensure their safety as well.
By taking these small measures, we can not only ensure environmental safety but also be supportive towards our family and friends during such hard times of crisis. No matter how tentative positivity may seem like, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
With Ayodhya creating a world record of lighting 5,84,572 diyas to radiate the entire city, there seems to be a glimmer of hope acing towards us at a good pace.