Deadly-Sweet Diwali

A festival of Lights Mithai’ became a toxic mix of Patakhas Adulteration? The backhanded silver lining Delhi was named the world’s most polluted city

- RAJEEV NARAYAN

They live(d) in very different times, did Lord Rama and Adam Sandler. But there is a common vein running through their action and statement; a belief that when good prevails, it reaches a new acme. This is an apex where the teachings that boys and girls are brought up on come true; such as right and wrong, proper and improper, niceties and blemishes, good and evil… Telling the truth is right, lying is wrong. Respecting others is proper, being rude improper. Smiling is a nicety, scowling a blemish. Lord Rama is good, King Ravana evil.

This unpretentious and ingenuous childhood logicanalogy suggests that Kolkata is right, Delhi wrong. Both cities were asked by courts to desist from using firecrackers this Diwali, in a last-ditch, desperate bid to curb air pollution. As expected, the people of Kolkata (in fact, the entire West Bengal) honoured the diktat, while those in Delhi and other North Indian cities (true to form, I may add) thumbed their nose and merrily lit go-kaboom fuses on firecrackers till dogs and humans became friends again, scurrying away hand-on-head from the cacophony, smoke and toxic fumes. This is not a joke – over 1,000 dogs and an equal number of human beings are missing in North India since Diwali.

The festival of ‘Lights & Sweets’ became a toxic mix of ‘Adulteration & Patakhas’ in 2024. Sure, Dilliwallas received a backhanded silver lining, with India’s Capital being named the world’s ‘Most Polluted City’ by Swiss air-monitoring agency IQAir.

Keeling over the day after