Swadeshi Jagaran Manch opposes complete ban on firecrackers

New Delhi: Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Saturday strongly opposed a complete ban on firecrackers in the national capital during Diwali, terming it "inappropriate" and "hurtful" to Hindus.

Slamming the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, the manch asserted that the ban also dealt a blow to the employment of millions of workers and others engaged in the production and distribution of fire crackers across the country.

It urged the other state governments to avoid a complete ban on firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali, bypassing the false propaganda in terms of ill effects of firecrackers. For some time, without any factual information, governments have been taking action like banning all types of firecrackers on the occasion of Diwali, which is completely inappropriate and unscientific and an attack on the sentiments of people," it said.

"We need to know that pollution caused by firecrackers was primarily due to illegally imported firecrackers from China and not the green crackers of India. It's notable that there has been pollution due to the mixing of potassium nitrate and sulfur in Chinese firecrackers. However, in green (pollution-free) firecrackers made in India, potassium nitrate and sulfur are not mixed and other pollutants such as aluminium, lithium, arsenic and mercury etc. have been reduced to the minimum," said Ashwani Mahajan, All India Co Convenor, SJM said.

These green firecrackers are certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute. It's scientifically proven that green crackers cause 30 per cent less pollution, he added.

Since the Union government has imposed an effective ban on Chinese firecrackers, it is completely unfair to impose a blanket ban on all types of firecrackers on Diwali on the occasion of Delhi.

"We should not forget that in Tamil Nadu (Sivakasi), West Bengal and several other parts of the country, the livelihoods of more than one million people depend on the firecracker industry. Throughout the year, these people wait for Deepawali to sell their firecrackers. In such a situation, it is not prudent to ban green firecrackers without any scientific basis which are much less polluting," he added.

The SJM said that it is a matter of great regret that government agencies have failed to solve the problem of stubble burning in various parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. It's proven without doubt that stubble burning remains the biggest source of air pollution in the national capital and surrounding northern states, and on the occasion of Diwali they try to misguide people, by focusing on banning firecrackers, diverting attention from the real cause of pollution.

Swadeshi Jagran Manch also urged all state governments to make efforts to find a permanent solution to the problem of stubble burning.