Deepawali: A Festival Celebrated at the Cost of Lost Childhood in Fire Cracker Factories

Deepawali is one of the most eagerly awaited festivals in India. People make numerous plans to celebrate it with great pomp and show. Children in particular look forward to burn fire crackers, wearing new dresses. Their parents make it a point that they buy enough fire crackers for their children, which can last for at least 3-4 days.

When I was small, I too loved to burn as many fire crackers as possible. I always counted the number of crackers given to me and that to my sister to see whether I got an equal number of fire crackers or not. However, as I grew up, I came to know the cruel story behind all that brightness and sound of fire crackers. It was alarming to know that children of my age were made to work in fire cracker factories for countless number of hours.

Poverty and parental negligence compelled numerous children in the age group of 10-16 years to work in a hazardous place like a fire cracker factory. As the process of making fire crackers involves dangerous raw materials and techniques, the life of children are always at a grave risk. The fire factory owners allure small children from poor families to work for them in return of just a few rupees. For these children, Deepawali does not mean fun and enjoyment.

Today, I no more burn fire crackers and also discourage other people to burn them. How can we even think of celebrating Deepawali by burning fire crackers at the cost of innocent lives? There are many other ways to celebrate it. For instance, you can worship Goddess Lakshmi, distribute gifts and sweets among your relatives and friends, and also buy new things for your home. Today, with increasing number of people buying fire crackers on Deepawali, it no more signifies the triumph of the truth over evil. Rather, it is more of a celebration that encourages child labour and that too, in extremely gruelling conditions. In a way, people who burn crackers on Diwali are becoming a part of the exploitation of innocent children.

This Deepawali, if you are planning to burn fire crackers with your family, think one more time. This is because your decision to abstain yourself from burning crackers may go a long way in promising a better future to numerous unfortunate children, who are forced to forget their childhood and work in fire cracker factories. Government may have taken stringent steps to curb child labour, but it is you who can make a difference.