Tamil Nadu wants SC to modify verdict on firecrackers

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday moved the Supreme Court, seeking modification of the order passed on October 23 restricting bursting of crackers on Diwali from 8 pm and 10 pm across the country.

In Tamil Nadu, “Diwali is fixed whenever Chaturdashi Tithi prevails in the morning from 4 to 6 am. If Chaturdashi is not present in the morning, even though it is present in the night, it will be ignored. This is contrary to other parts of the nation wherein Diwali is fixed and celebrated based on Amavasya,” it said.

In view of the restriction, the people of Tamil Nadu will be deprived with their rights of celebrating the occasion by bursting crackers in the early morning, it said.

“It would be in the interest of environment not to subject the entire population to burst firecrackers within a stipulated short time as it would lead to a larger volume of emissions within a short span. Permitting people to burst firecrackers at two different times with due intervals would facilitate dissemination of the smoke,” it said.

The state government sought permission to allow celebration of Diwali in their traditional way by bursting fire crackers in the early morning between 4.30 to 6.30 am as well along with the present time stipulation by the court.

In northern India, Diwali is celebrated in the night to celebrate the homecoming of Rama after slaying Ravana. However, in Tamil Nadu, Diwali, pronounced as ‘Deepavali’, is celebrated commemorating the death of Narakashura, the evil, slain by the Goddess in the early hours of dawn, it pointed out.