Kerala

Restrictions pave the way for safer festivals

Boon or bane: Will the restrictions on pyrotechnics dampen the mood at festivals?

The organisation’s new guidelines are praiseworthy. The licensing system will, to a great extent, prevent the accidents that during festivals. The organisation’s move to restrict parading of elephants is indeed a great relief to the public. It will reduce traffic problems too. These measures will bring more people to the festivals rather than take away the sheen of temple festivals.

Divya Velayudhan

Palakkad

It is high time that people of Kerala put their foot down. We have witnessed too many accidents and macabre incidents related to festivities makes one doubt whether we belong to the most literate and socially advanced State in India. It is heart-rending to witness tame elephants being subjected to unpardonable cruelties in the name of religious festivities. It makes one to wonder: is God not seeing all these atrocities conducted in his name? I sincerely hope that the authorities firmly implement some guidelines for conducting fireworks and restricting parading of elephants.

Rita Adiyodi

By e-mail

We are Malayalis living in God’s Own Country and festivals are in our blood. In Palakkad, the Nenmara-vallengi vela is a popular temple festival with lot of pyrotechnics and large procession elephants. I think two-thirds of the money is used for fireworks.

Curbs on fireworks reduce the spirit of the celebration and so we are against it. Curbs should satisfy people’s expectations. All festivals are the products of people’s cooperation and harmony.

Government officials should look into the set-up for the fireworks, such as the ground, whether the material is from a licensed company, isolating the ground from viewers, safety precautions like fire extinguisher etc.

They also have to look into the number of elephants, their food and physical condition and time of procession.

The media, especially local papers and channels, should educate the people on how to act in case of a fireworks accident or elephant running amok.

Shaiju Kandamuthan

Palakkad

The sound of panchavadhyam and the sight of elephants with people sitting on it surely is an amusement for us children. My grandmother used to say that these festivals were much better in the olden days — temples were mostly in the outskirts and during the summer season there were vast swathes of harvested land for performing the rituals. Elephants would walk on the soil moistened by the first monsoon showers and we could watch them from all four sides. This is no longer so. Temples are placed in the middle of cities. Elephants are made to walk on hot, dusty city roads and we children are not even given the right to burst crackers. Most certainly these new measures have taken the sheen off the temple festivals. Reducing the number of elephants may seem a good idea, but will it make the temple festivals as beautiful as in our grandparents’ days? Certainly not. We have to look for vacant spaces in and around the city, not necessarily next to the temple, for conducting the rituals.

Reshma J.

Palakkad

I am at the fag end of 83 years and whether the authorities care or not, I am of the opinion that conducting fireworks in places of worship — irrespective of religion — should continue as they are a pleasant treat to the eye. The biggest fireworks take place annually in Thrissur and they have the minimum number of accidents. Thrissur also tops in parading elephants. Who can deny that a row of elephants render a royal grandeur to festivals. Watch the elephants at the festivals and we find that they themselves are enjoying.

P.K.V. Menon

Pattambi

Wisdom and knowledge have to go hand in hand while organising temple festivals. Fireworks and parading of elephants are a normal feature in such festivals but stringent safety measures have to be adopted.

Fireworks should be displayed on open grounds, where the public can enjoy the light and sound from a safe distance. Sound pollution is a major problem for people living in the vicinity of these temples. Fireworks with less of sound and more of light and colour should be introduced. Lack of space makes it essential to stop the parading of elephants. Special care will have to be taken if elephants are paraded. Ban on alcohol consumption and wearing of gold jewellery amongst women would reduce the number of mischief makers during such festivals. The police would then be able to manage crowds in a better way, allowing for the smooth functioning of festivals.

Thus, without missing out on age-old customs, the organisers could adopt modern methods and still retain the feel and lustre of temple festivals.

Mary Joshy

Kottayam

The temple is a sacred place where people celebrate festivals with devotion. The restrictions and limitations imposed will not detract from the glory of temple festivals. Rather, it will motivate more people to participate in them without any fears. The government has introduced the restrictions only to save the public from tragedies.

People do feel unhappy regarding the curbs but when they realise the real reasons for imposing them, they will accept them and participate in festivals with full enthusiasm.

Anish Jacob Mani

Kottayam

Precautions to avert accidents from fireworks are necessary to protect human lives. But extensive control by imposing stringent regulations may bring the mood of the festivities to a low gear. In spite of having various controlling measures there were plenty of accidents on account of fireworks. It could be at the time of making of the fireworks, at the storage place or at the time of lighting the explosives.

The licensing system is already in place. More stringent measures to allot licence will end up in more corruption. When one analyses the fireworks accidents, it becomes obvious that the work shop where the fireworks were made was either unauthorised or did not have proper licence.

Currently the law is very clear regarding the maximum level of sound produced, measured in decibels. Prohibiting the use of potassium chloride in fireworks is of some relief as far as controlling the sound pollution. Effective monitoring can reduce the number of accidents.

In Thrissur pooram, the Maradu temple festival, Pavaratty church fest and Nemmara Vallangi vela the main attraction is the fireworks display. Accidents have occurred at all the above places. Festivals minus fireworks will reduce the charm of these festivals.

P. Surendranath

Palarivattom

Accidents do occur, even in a well-regulated place. If it is due to lack of adequate precautions, you cannot blame your fate for it. In view of a catalogue of accidents during festivals, the authorities’ efforts to stem it come on the dot. The proposed guidelines, albeit not fully foolproof, would go a long way in reducing accidents. It is indeed gratifying that wisdom has finally dawned on the authorities. Had these been introduced much earlier, many lives could have been saved. It must be understood that no rule is meaningful if it is not enforced strictly.

The restrictions on parading elephants during festivals also deserve loud praise. Animals are animals and their behaviour, especially under stress, cannot be predicted. In an emergency, you have to be ready with a tranquiliser gun to sedate the animal.

K.G.K. Nair

Palakkad

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