Small Changes for a Brighter, Greener Festival
I don’t want to be a buzzkill for folks who celebrate Diwali conventionally. I was the same growing up, but everything changed during college. A couple of bomb blasts during the early 2000s, close to Diwali, changed that for me.
Once I joined my social work masters, the environmental and community layers of this issue glared at me. I visited Sivakasi with my friends and got a harsh reality check on the child labourers, human health conditions, human rights violations and power politics in play. However, boycotting fireworks or matches will not change those families’ fate. They will be subjected to more poverty. Unless we give them alternative occupational opportunities, their livelihoods depend on the industry, no matter how lethal and fatal it is to them.
I adopted a pet in 2018, and another issue surfaced. The light, noise and air pollution are affecting and exacerbating their anxieties.
I would only urge you to be more mindful while you celebrate and see if you could incorporate small changes into your unbreakable traditions.
– Lighting diyas or lanterns instead of overspending on firecrackers. A small amount of that money could feed the less advantaged folks (as food donations).
– Look at green cracker options and lighting firecrackers on public grounds, etc., where there is more safety and ground cover. Public spaces will help the smoke dissipate instead of filling our homes.
– Opt for locally sourced, homegrown vendors to buy sweets and savouries.
– Opt for sustainable gifting options and sustainable fashion while buying new clothes.
– Opt for mindful corporate gifting.
– Lastly, several strays enter our homes for safety, please welcome them if you can for a few days.
If you do not know where to start, I have already done the research! As the founder of ecoHQ , I am connected to a zillion eco-friendly businesses. Do not hesitate to reach out for recommendations!
Happy Deepawali to you and your family!
Credits
The featured photos were shot at Thiruthangal, Sivakasi and belong to ecoHQ. The article’s cover photo is taken from Canva.
The article has been written by Deepa Sai is the founder of ecoHQ!