More than 100 people died in Kerala when a celebration at a temple using fireworks went awry. The huge explosion happened when a firecracker fell into a room used for storing a massive quantity of fireworks. Another 400 people suffered serious injury.

No doubt this will be another tragic incident that will quickly be forgotten. Already there is talk of forming a committee to investigate this thing or the other. Months will go by and a watered down report will emerge which will have no practical purpose and will find its way to a dustbin. We will lose sight of the only important matter here. Fireworks have no place in our celebrations, religious or otherwise.

1. Every Diwali, going back 45 years to when I was a child, you can be assured of some grievous injury to someone we know or maybe one degree of separation away. This is an annual ritual where children get perilously close to needless danger.
2. Pollution caused by these firecrackers is a serious hazard. One could argue that Indian cities are any way the most polluted in the world but that is a loser's argument. This is one source of pollution that we can absolutely do without. The intense chemical fumes one inhales over those two to three days as well as other celebrations like the Kerala one can be damaging to eyes and lungs.
3. Factories making firecrackers have been accused of employing child labor in dangerous jobs. This is perhaps not a prevalent practice any more but why support an industry that for years was a poster child for its serious disregard for child labor laws.
4. Manufacturers of firecrackers are doing things today exactly like they did 50 years ago. There has been no innovation and no motivation to improve safety. They operate like a club that makes its own rules, not open to competition or market forces.
5. Lastly, Diwali is a celebration of light—possibly with lamps and candles. It was not meant to be an extravaganza of explosions and smoke. Firecrackers serve no religious purpose so banning them would not be anti-Hindu or anti-anything.

Given that there can be no accountability for these tragic accidents in India, one cannot rely on the law to ensure that firecrackers will be handled responsibly. In such a circumstance the only sensible option is to ban them altogether.