Images of deities phased out from firecracker wrappers

Let us pay gratitude at the holy feet of Mata Lakshmi and other deities for this successful and lawful protest by Hindus ! We also congratulate all Hindus who unitedly protested against use of deities’ images on firecracker wrappers ! – Editor, Hindujagruti
Mumbai : The age-old practice of featuring images of Hindu deities on Diwali firecrackers has been phased out this season. The wrapper of the favourite Laxmi Bomb now features a peacock while some crackers bear images of parrots. Others simply carry the manufacturer’s logo.

The trend germinated in the industry base of Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. In 2015, the district revenue officer had sent a circular to the Tamil Nadu Fire Cracker Manufacturers Association (TNFCMA) not to use labels with pictures of deities for wrapping crackers. Some Hindu outfits had reportedly complained that discarded wrappers were hurting their religious sentiments. Crackers with names of various Hindu deities have reportedly been in the market for almost a century .

On Thursday, TOI spoke to a selection of leading fireworks stores, and all of them confirmed that not a single item had the image of a deity on the wrapper.

One of the largest retailers, Essabhai in Mohammed Ali Road, said pictures of animals, birds, actors and actresses had taken over instead. Spokesman Mukhtyar said, “It is a good move that must be welcomed.Nobody would want to see photographs of any god or goddess being crushed underfoot.”

Nearby, Ali Mohammed of Elite Fireworks said this trend had gathered pace since last year. “Remember that the manufacturers of these crackers in South India also believe in these deities. They have willingly replaced the covers with safer options that do not cause disrespect,” he said.

The trend extends to the suburbs as well. Chhaya Bhatia, who runs a firecracker store in Andheri (east) said, “There are pictures of birds and actors but no gods or goddesses.”

The owner of M K Shah Fireworks in Malad said that the trend was slowly catching on.

Source : TOI