Crackers being sold online, making fun of SC’s ban

SC’s ban on selling crackers in Delhi perceived as bad timing

By: MeghnaKhanna @ Khanna_meghna10, INN, New Delhi

Online sale of crackers is making fun of The Supreme Court of India imposed ban on the sale of fire crackers in Delhi-NCR region. This ban has been imposed considering the exponential rise in the pollution level to 14 times on Diwali last year. The petition to reconsider court’s September decision has compelled them to pose this ban and observe the transition in environment and pollution levels. After this decision of SC sale of crackers online has surged up in past few days. Whereas, direct sellers such as small and wholesale cracker traders business has seen deep loss after this judgement.

It is true that burning crackers on Diwali is not a part of our tradition that we all are bound to follow, but the court should have also taken into account that many houses will celebrate Diwali by this business and they should have been informed prior so that they wouldn’t have invested in the business.

Adding to the list of problems in this ban, there is no ban on online portals for selling crackers. Websites like buyonlinecrackers.in, crackersindia.comoffer home delivery of crackers in Delhi-NCR. Reputed online shopping portal like e-bay is also a part of the herd. Buyonlinecrackers.in is even offering attractive deals to buyers like free delivery on orders above Rs 10,000.

Disguising under the mask of online portals, merchants connected to websites are able to make profits and fill their pockets. Whereas, on the other hand, the life of vendors dealing directly with customers via shops has come to a halt after the ban

In India, where rich people are getting richer and poor getting poorer, the law and order of the country has proved its weaknesses by showing the ill-executed and prior unannounced ban on the business which has led and forced the shopkeepers to indulge in unethical methods of selling crackers. Also, this is a ban on selling crackers, not bursting it. So, there is not a ban but a choice on the people who have already bought crackers and are ready to celebrate the festival in the full swing.

The decision has gathered the support of many doctors, environmentalists and social workers considering the present day scenario of pollution and its adverse impact on daily lives of Delhi residents.

But, this unanticipated ban has created a hassle in market where the traders and sellers of crackers are in a shock that they have to pull down their shutters only 10 days before Diwali.

Various vendors are selling crackers before the ban is implemented and followed in full swing due to the clause in the ban that those who purchased firecrackers before the ban was declared can still burst on Diwali as reported by various media houses to which one of the lawyers replied- “People who had already purchased crackers will be able to burst them. Hopefully they won’t do that”.