Close to a week after the Supreme Court on Friday said it will actively consider limiting the firework bursting time on Diwali to a period of five hours between 5 pm and 10 pm, a cracker manufacturer has moved the court against the proposed move.
According to a report in the Times of India, a leading cracker manufacturer in the Rs 10 billion industry in Sivakasi has moved the Supreme Court saying banning fireworks during Diwali would be against Hindu belief and mythology.
Kaliswari Fireworks, which produces the 'Cock' brand of crackers, told the court that Diwali was the biggest of all Hindu festivals and a cracker ban against it would not be justified on religious grounds.
"According to Hindu belief, the sound of fireworks and crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth and making gods aware of their plentiful state. Therefore, a ban on fireworks and crackers would be against Hindu belief and mythology," the TOI report quotes the petitioner as saying, adding that it was cautious to avoid the topic of pollution caused by the firecrackers.
In a unique petition, three infants moved a petition to the Supreme Court through their advocate fathers on September 29, seeking a ban on crackers, exercising their right to clean air guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Two six-month-olds Arjun Gopal and Aarav Bhandari and 14-month-old Zoya Rao Bhasin, wrote in their petition that "Our lungs have not yet fully developed and we cannot take further pollution through bursting of crackers."
The Supreme Court permits minors to file petitions for the protection of their fundamental rights through their parents or guardians.
The largest fireworks manufacturers in the country, later moved the SC, saying any order on the issue would affect their business.
Besides saying that it would reconsider the move, the bench also accepted a suggestion from the petitioner on spreading awareness about the harmful effects of crackers.
Kaliswari Fireworks also claimed that the industry employs thousands of workers and any ban could leave them without jobs. It also cried foul about illegally imported Chinese crackers.
The apex court has said that it will take a final decision on October 27.