Narakashuran and Silambarasan!

" The worst awaited K.Annachamy back home: his son A. Silambarasan, a Class XI student, had succumbed to burn injuries sustained in the fireworks factory accident. Even as he began to narrate his tale of woe, his daughter Tamaraiselvi, who was studying in Standard VII,struggled to console her mentally challenged mother, Muthupillai. Holding a recent photograph of Silambarasan, a sobbing Tamaraiselvi said, “My brother was the school topper in Standard X. He always inspired me to study well so that I can achieve my dream of becoming a doctor.”

I stopped bursting crackers long back.Deepavali has lost all it's symbolism-atleast to me.Festival of lights it may be,yet this chemical induced brightness is not I wish for.
This August in Vadakkampatti(Madurai), a private fireworks industry was blown to smithereens causing 19 casualties(including 3 students).Incidents like this and others(one in a week atleast) frustrate me highly.Child Labour prevails only in industries which has a high consumer demand.So as long as we consider "10000 wala" as a symbol of prestige,a child in Sivakasi will throw away his bag and sit down in the fireworks factory.Whenever I hear a Diwali bomb exploding in the street,I hear a family's cries alongside.Diwali should celebrate only the death of Narakashura.As long as it brings forth deaths of school toppers like Silambarasan,I will keep hating it.

Stop bursting crackers.(Watching "India Tholaikatchigalil mudhal murayaga" stuff is better than these crackers).Light a single lamp.Pray for world peace.Listen to "Vellai Pookal".Sit and talk with your mother for an hour.Diwali can turn meaningful.