With Diwali celebrations now over, the focus shifts to how people celebrated the festival and whether enough was done to make it eco-friendly and animal-friendly. Ishika Shahi, writer and creator, believes that while there has been some positive change over the years, there is still a long way to go.

“I do believe Diwali celebrations have become more conscious and sensitive towards animals over the years, because there are actually some people who have completely given up on bursting crackers. But it is not enough. The number of people who are still bursting crackers is so, so insensitive. It is the most selfish thing for a person to do because you absolutely do not care about how pollution is harming the people around you and how scared dogs, cats and birds get. It completely defeats the purpose of Diwali being good over evil,” she said.

Even the so-called safer options do not convince her. “Even something that does not make noise is still not good. Why are we adding to the AQI? So many people are getting sick because of pollution, and we are just adding to it for no good reason other than the fact that we want to see some sparkles in the sky,” she said.

Talking about the need for stricter rules in residential societies and communities, Ishika feels firecrackers should not be allowed at all. “We should not even be bursting crackers in societies or on the roads or anywhere. I would definitely be all in for completely banning firecrackers. I just wish we didn’t have to ban them. I wish people would do it from their own will,” she said.

She also believes that celebrating Diwali does not necessarily mean bursting crackers. There are several ways to enjoy the festival without harming the environment or animals. “Some simple ways people can celebrate Diwali are to light diyas and celebrate through get-togethers, gatherings, food and drinks. Anything works where pollution is not getting worse and animals are not getting harmed. I think any other way would be a very simple and beautiful way to celebrate Diwali,” she said.

Reflecting on the celebrations, Ishika feels that being mindful of animals should be an important part of every festival. “We should always be compassionate towards animals, especially during these festivities, to let them know that they are also a part of this occasion. We should definitely not be selfish in that zone. Eco-friendly as well as animal-friendly, to ensure everybody is happy during a festival that makes us happy,” she concluded.