Diwali! A Festival of lights, happiness, prosperity and thanksgiving for all, but it stops with people. Animals, on the other hand, live, and sometimes die, suffering the wrath of a gruelling period imposed on them by the most vital part of Diwali celebrations – firecrackers.
The most horrifying sight one can see almost anywhere during Diwali is the sight of stray dogs whining and running blindly, not having a clue as to why there are loud and terrifying noises around them, both day and night. Not just stray dogs, but pets and almost all other animals such as cats, birds and cattle tend to be extremely terrified and anxious throughout Diwali. One of the worst problems during Diwali is the irresponsibility and apathy of children and even adults, who deliberately antagonise animals for their entertainment, involving in acts such as throwing lit firecrackers at helpless animals, and even tying crackers to the tails of stray dogs, leaving the poor animals to run and scream in pain, fear and confusion, all at once.
Animals don’t just suffer from the loud, terrifying noises and burns that terrorise them during the celebration of Diwali, but also from the aftermath – residue and debris spread across every street in town, filled with gunpowder, and pieces of metal, plastic and newspaper. Almost all animals that live on the streets and cattle that are left to graze on the roads, often tend to eat the debris, which almost certainly results in them having stomach problems, kidney failure, liver failure, and even cancer and death. This doesn’t just contaminate and affect the land and the animals that live on it, but also water, affecting fish and other aquatic and amphibious animals. Industrial waste from the production of chemicals required to make fireworks are often dumped into water bodies such as lakes and rivers, which eventually mix with the ocean, causing further harm to marine life. Perhaps the worst form of pollution that firecrackers cause is air pollution. The harmful chemicals required to burn and explode in order to display a wide array of bright colours and patterns, contaminate the atmosphere with SPM and toxic gases, causing smog almost everywhere. Most of us have the luxury of remaining indoors and having filtration systems, but animals have no choice but to breathe in the raw, toxic air, which undoubtedly causes serious, long-term respiratory problems.
People don’t need to completely stop bursting crackers, but it’s necessary that those who do it, should do it responsibly, in moderation and most importantly, have compassion for animals during celebrations, especially raising a voice against people who abuse animals for their entertainment. The Festival of Lights got its name for a reason, and it should never cause darkness in the lives of the voiceless, for they are also living beings who can feel physical and emotional pain.
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