Diwali signifies the victory of good over evil; and it is with the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts that this simple truth finds ever new reason and hope every season. Lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers and the emotions of joy, togetherness and hope. But what we get along with the brilliant lights, firecrackers, sweets and new clothes, is pollution - a nightmare for our environment. However, there are individuals and children who are determined in doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint and ensuring a ‘Swachh Diwali’.
Tej Nirmal Singh, a senior corporate executive, says, “Swachh Diwali to me is celebrating the festival without noise and air pollution. Avoiding the bursting of crackers is one conventional way. Further, with the use of technology and innovative marketing/product delivery options, we can also avoid travelling all over the NCR to meet friends and distribute sweets. With smart phones as enablers we should make the best use of the plethora of e-shopping/e-commerce websites and personalised free home delivery options, and avoid clogging the roads - hence helping to reduce air pollution and saving our environment. It is like ‘Saathi haath badhana’. To me, spending quality time at home with family is the best Diwali gift.”
Nidhi Dandona is an Urban Designer living in Gurgaon and currently is a member of he faculty at Sushant School of Art & architecture. “Swachh Diwali according to me is a Diwali where we clean our hearts of all the negativity of the past year and start up afresh in all realms of life, and also clean our houses /offices and buy new gifts for our near and dear ones. We should celebrate it in a way that does not harm the environment - by saying no to plastics and crackers. Spreading of happiness should be the aim this Diwali and always.”
Krish Rajpal is a seventh class student at DPS Sushant Lok, Gurgaon. Like any youngster of today’s generation he has lots of aspirations for himself, his family and his country. He fervently hopes that through our collective efforts we shall be able to create the new Bharat of our dreams. “A nationwide campaign for a Swachh Bharat launched by Mr. Narendra Modi, and his setting an example for us by doing it himself, has left me truly impressed. The Prime Minister was wielding a broom! The country is certainly in for some sweeping changes. Last week, while playing football our ball crossed the fence and landed in the backyard of our society. When I went there to collect the ball I noticed that a huge pile of garbage was littered all around; the place was stinking. It left me thinking - is this the way we will welcome the deities on Diwali? It is not just our homes that we need to spruce up for the coming festival, the surroundings too need to be cleaned up. My friends and I have decided to do something about this. PM Modi’s inspirational drive for Swachh Bharat has spurred us to be the change we want to see, this Diwali. We would use light handmade diyas, instead of energy consuming lights. Post Diwali, all of us would clean up the litter - it would be a joint task for all of us to make our society swachh!
Renu Sondhi an educationist and an active member of her RWA, says, “Our society has been on a green mission. Like every year we are crusading for a cleaner and pollution-free festival. While children are aiming for a cracker-free Diwali, others are opting for environment-friendly ways of celebrating the festival. They are opting for eco-friendly packaging for gifts; old newspapers and jute ropes are being used to make gift bags (instead of using shiny wrapping papers made from toxic colours). It is high time that people understand these hazards and celebrate the festival basically with lights, and not noise. For a peaceful Diwali, do silence those firecrackers and light a lamp (or several) - and still have a blast!
Omisha Dua, an tudying in Class III at DPS Sushant Lok, Gurgaon, loves to write about things she sees around her. “There is a great buzz around Mr. Narendra Modi’s massive drive for a Swachh Bharat and I was quite impressed on seeing the pictures where he is wielding a broom. So, dear friends, if our prime minister can do it himself, can’t we also be a part of this huge campaign? Let’s begin by welcoming this Diwali as Swachh Diwali. It does not mean just cleaning our own homes. Let us look beyond. Just try and imagine the scene at all the open areas where a Diwali ‘celebration’ would have taken place the night before. Let us not ignore the morning after. Let us not leave it to the ‘safaiwallas’ to clean the disorder left on the roads and in our complexes. Let’s all pick up brooms without feeling shy and clean our areas, so that our society becomes a role model. I am ready for it, Are you?
Shoana Sharma, a home maker, says, “Swachh Bharat is a new definition for our traditions, rituals and festivals, to create awareness about raising the standards with our daily living, this festive season. This mantra of keeping our country clean is creating waves everywhere. The new generation should celebrate Diwali with a concept to keep our India ‘litter-free’. Let us light diyas, make ‘rangoli’ and welcome Goddess Laxmi with a new perspective, of making India a clean country. Traditions mixed with social awareness should be the new message of Swachh Bharat. Are we all not responsible for all this unmanageable waste, which is now being highlighted? It is time to wake up and celebrate the true essence of festivals. We should not limit ourselves to just cleaning our house, while turning a blind eye to the garbage outside our houses. So while we light up our diyas this Diwali, let us take a step forward and clean an area that was never cleaned before. Wishing you all a very happy, bright and Swachh Diwali.”
Amidst family gatherings, glittering clay lamps, festive fireworks, strings of electric lights, bonfires, flowers, sharing of sweets and worship to goddess Lakshmi, let’s make Diwali a festival of harmony and joy. And cleanliness.
Happy Swachh Diwali to all!
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