Drawing the cracker redline

Ilive in the heart of Jammu, better known as the city of ancient temples. While the afternoons are cosy, spent basking in the glorious sunshine, the evenings become chilly. I retreat into my comfortable room with a heater. On a calm evening, listening to sonorous lilting music, I had just started reading the book by former US President Barack Obama, A Promised Land, when suddenly, the shattering sound of an explosion, startled my pleasure and peace. It was as if a rapid fire was raging outside.

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I have retired as a cop. It was like a grim reminder of the maddening moment of the times of militancy in Jammu. In the 1990s, blasts were common, but the guns are thankfully silent now.

Alarmed, I rushed from the room and dashed to the gate to check. What could it be! There is a banquet hall in front of our house where ear-splitting music is a way of life. Upon further probing, I saw teenagers at a wedding party in a frenzy, tinkering with high-grade explosive crackers — setting fire to the fuse with the crackers popping up — in a wide flurry of dazzling lights, and shattering noise. I was dumbstruck!

Only recently during Diwali, the crackers had been banned, keeping in view the repercussions, a threat to life and property, and Covid complications because of the rising pollution levels. But here, these youngsters were treating it like rock-and-roll.

Policing instincts got the better of me. It was impossible for me to not intervene and more so as a responsible citizen. So, I charged towards them and bluntly scolded them. What if it led to some mishap, I warned. The inherent danger is when the firecrackers hit accidentally. A heavy price is often to be paid. I somehow doused their gleeful rage. While I was letting my steam off, a small crowd gathered in my support. Reluctantly, and somewhat defiantly, the frenzied cracker gang withdrew and apologised.

Subdued then by my own show of zeal, I pointed out to them that I had not wanted to spoil the festivity, but only sought to warn them about the perils of bursting crackers carelessly. In times of Covid, not only is social distancing thrown to the wind along with the mask while attending festivities, but also the bursting of crackers serves as a reminder that it has been banned, for the sake of the environment, and also to try and check wasteful expenditure. We must safeguard the law for our own sake.

The vaccine for Covid is finally here. We have come a long way in our fight against the virus. But crackers are deadly, too. We need discipline and responsibility to stop this, the way we did when struck by the pandemic.