Kerala   

Restrictions pave the way for safer festivals

Dangerous grounds: Strict implementation of norms such as maintaining a safe distance between the spectators and the elephants being paraded at festivals will go a long way in ensuring safety.

Unlike other States, Kerala used to be restrained and reasonable in celebrating festivals. However, the trend has changed. Chaos, anarchy and even violence seem to have crept into pubic functions. Even highways are hijacked for hours together in the name of celebrations. Such atrocious acts never add lustre to them.

In olden days, the caparisoned elephants at temple festivals suffered fewer difficulties. The paved mud roads they treaded were not harmful to their feet. But these days, the animals have to trek miles on tarred roads. Their feet are not biologically conducive to this purpose.

There appears to be a competitive effort to increase the number of animals in the celebration to elevate the status of individual temples. The hapless pachyderms are made to stand for hours together and the heavy fireworks conducted as a finale to the festivals scare and irritate the animals, as demonstrated by instances of the animals running amok. The mahouts are often found wanting in handling the animals. All these constitute nothing but cruelty to them.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

By e-mail

The enforcement of new rules regarding fireworks and parading of elephants is a welcome move. The number of people killed by elephants and accidental fires is increasing every year. There has been a spurt in the number of unauthorised distributors of explosives during festival seasons. Limiting superfluous pageantry will not only reduce the risks, but also help limit pollution. The proposed guidelines would help end atrocities towards elephants, a victim of man’s aesthetic pleasures.

R.S. Sreeram

Thiruvananthapuram

It is time to bid a fond farewell to temple festivals that conjure visions of fireworks and elephants in regal splendour and herald a new age with its safety regulations. Change in any sphere is after all inevitable.

We have enough pollution to contend with without adding more noise and smoke pollution to the cauldron. Temple festivals these days are known for death by stampedes. Add elephants and technological advancement to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster.

Of what use is sheen when you are too dead to enjoy it?

Bhavani Harikrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram

The fire works displays in temples, churches etc. were being conducted by those without a licence but just practical experience. But, times have changed. The explosives have become more lethal.

At Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, where there are so many small units manufacturing every type of explosives, a proper investigation may reveal that many are not in possession of any licence at all because the government or local authorities do not verify them as they consider it routine matter.

There are huge gatherings at every temple or church festival and extreme care should be taken for any type of display. A proper format incorporating all essential safety requirements should be in place. Temples or churches that organise fire works displays must take out insurance for these and in case anyone in the crowd is hurt they must be compensated by the insurance company.

P.M.G. Pillai

Mannar

Deafening pyrotechnic displays and parading of pachyderms have neither any religious significance nor scriptural sanction. These festive appurtenances are later-day products of commercialisation of temple festivals.

Unsafe and primitive practices in both manufacture and display of fireworks have caused avoidable loss of human lives. Ill treatment of captive elephants forces these hapless creatures to vent their fury on innocent bystanders as well as the mahouts. Therefore, the decision to enforce safety standards on fireworks and humane treatment of elephants should be welcomed by all progressive minded people.

Practices and customs in places of worship should be rooted in values like austerity, dignity of human life, compassion towards all forms of life, etc. Dazzling colour should replace ear-shattering sound as the leitmotif for fireworks. It is easier to modernise fireworks considering that human lives are at stake. But, past experience has shown that existing rules on the management and treatment of elephants have not been complied with by the mahouts, owners and the festival organisers because enforcement is lax.

The new measures will transform festivals into colourful cultural spectacles without compromising the safety and security of the organisers and the spectators.

V.N. Mukundarajan

Thiruvananthapuram

Fireworks and caparisoned elephants are inevitable parts of temple festivals in Kerala, which enthral the huge crowds. Prevention is better than cure. We need to exercise safety measures. Trained and experienced persons only should be allowed to handle fireworks. A few people in every panchayat or corporation should be trained in the use of fireworks and the pyrotechnicians should be given proper rest.

Parading the animals in musth, parading them for long hours without proper food, provocation by public and cruelty by mahouts are driving the elephants to violence. Temples and other religious and social organisations should desist from the practice of parading the maximum number of elephants to add colour to festivals. People should also be aware of the stress such incidents cause to the animals and discourage such practices.

The government has imposed several restrictions on parading elephants in festivals. The elephants to be paraded in the pooram should be given rest during morning hours and the previous night. Elephants should be fed well before they are paraded. They should be provided drinking water and food during the procession.

If the elephants are made to stand on tarred roads, water should be poured over them to cool them. If any elephant shows signs of discomfort, it should be substituted with another one. These safety measures will help maintain the sheen of temple festivals without compromising on safety.

Sreeni K.R.

Thrissur

The courts, police and the safety officers of the State have warned repeatedly about the safety issues involved in the fireworks. One cannot imagine a temple festival without fireworks and elephants. Restrictions are good, but they should not affect religious functions. Instead of fireworks and elephants, we may go for ‘kettukazhcha’, ‘kalavela’ and the like. We can also adopt the computer-controlled fireworks.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Kochi

Unlike in other States, Keralites used to be restrained and reasonable in celebrating the festivals. However, the trend has changed these days. Chaos, anarchy and even violence seem to have crept into public functions.

Caparisoned elephants have become the celebration statement of temple festivals these days. In olden days, these animals suffered few difficulties. The mud roads they treaded were not harmful to their feet. But these days, the animals have to trek miles on tarred roads to reach the temples.

It seems that there is competition between individual temples to parade the maximum number of elephants as a status symbol. The hapless pachyderms are made to stand hours together till the completion of the ceremonies. The heavy firework conducted as a finale to the festival creates scare and irritation among the animals, causing them to run amok. The mahouts are often found wanting in handling the animals. All these constitute nothing but cruelty to them.

As regards fireworks in temples, the norms the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation recently set should be observed scrupulously to avoid hazards.

N. Sadasivan Pillai

Camp: Modinabad

Precautions to avert accidents from fireworks are necessary to protect human lives. But extensive control by imposing stringent regulations may bring the mood of the festivities to a low gear. In spite of having various controlling measures there were plenty of accidents on account of fireworks. It could be at the time of making of the fireworks, at the storage place or at the time of lighting the explosives.

The licensing system is already in place. More stringent measures to allot licence will end up in more corruption. When one analyses the fireworks accidents, it becomes obvious that the work shop where the fireworks were made was either unauthorised or did not have proper licence. These facts come to light only after the occurrence of the accident.

Currently the law is very clear regarding the maximum level of sound produced, measured in decibles. Prohibiting the use of potassium chloride in fireworks is of some relief as far as controlling the sound pollution. Effective monitoring can reduce the number of accidents.

In Thrissur pooram, the Maradu temple festival, Pavaratty church fest and Nemmara Vallangi vela the main attraction is the fireworks display. Accidents have occurred at all the above places. Festivals minus fireworks will reduce the charm of these festivals.

Loss of lives due to accidents by fireworks is negligible comparing to the loss of lives by road accidents. The licensing system is in place for using, storing and transporting of RDX and gelatin sticks. One fails to understand how these substances come to the hands of terrorists when there is licensing system. The remedy is effective monitoring and follow up by the authorities concerned.

Restrictions and guidelines regarding the parading of elephants in festivals are essential to protect the animals from the cruelty meted out.

Of course such restrictions will have some impact on the age old practice, thereby raising objections and protests.

P. Surendranath

Palarivattom

It is unfortunate that the authorities are contemplating putting restrictions on fireworks and parading of elephants in festivals.

These festivals mostly connected to religious rituals is, it should be understood, not for rituals alone but for the relaxation and enjoyment of a very large section of people.

In fact, fireworks demonstration was an art in olden times, though a lot of commercialisation has crept in of late. The artists behind the display were men of the area and there was a healthy competition among the parties involved to better the display from year to year. Accidents do occur once in a while but that is no reason to ban or restrict the display.

Accidents occur in our roads causing loss of life but we do not think of closing the roads. About parading of elephants, the authorities are barking up the wrong tree. The authorities may introduce precautions in handling them but if they restrict the number, it may take the charm and enjoyment of viewing a row of beautifully caparisoned elephants lined up in poorams.

The folly will be understood clearly if you just visualise the kudamattom in Thrissur pooram.

M. Ramankutty

Thripunithura

Temple festivals are village fairs. They add colour to our otherwise monotonous lives. As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Festivals should be colourful too. They are the occasions for people to enjoy and entertain themselves, in wild abandon. Temple festivals have an aura of piety about them.

People feel that apart from merry-making, they are earning merit also.

Elephants and pyrotechnics do add beauty to festivals. But too much of anything is not good. Certain controls are all the more welcome.

Even small temples vie with each other in parading increasing number of elephants year after year, much more than they can manage. Processions last hours together. Elephants are after all wild animals. It is dangerous to put their tenacity to test. If need be, they had better be replaced in turn. As far as fireworks are concerned, we are more sound-happy than sight-happy. I watched the pyrotechnic display at Beijing Olympics on the TV. It was really an eyeful. It seemed to me that they laid more emphasis on aesthetics than on decibels.

P.V. Divakaran

Avittathur

As we learn from the tragedy at the Chamundadevi temple in Jodhpur, safety is a necessity whenever there is a gathering such as during times of celebrations and festivals. If safety measures are not taken, tragedies may ruin the joy and the spirit of festivals.

Hence, the safety measures and guidelines given by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation are genuine and should be made compulsory and implemented with an iron hand.

But, I am little bit confused about the restriction on parading elephants because they are the spice and ornament of festivals. Instead of a full restriction on parading elephants, there should be some room for a parade but the frequency and number may be lessened. This is because laws which are made without the consent of the general public rarely succeed.

But, we can say that the guidelines are unquestionable if we value safety at festivals.

Shashwat Shriparv

Thiruvananthapuram

Fireworks which produce huge noise when detonated at ground level pose hazards. Apart from the injuries that it could cause, the noise, which exceeds the upper safety level by many decibels, could impair the hearing of those nearby.

Therefore, one should welcome the guidelines and licensing system introduced by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation hoping that they would mitigate the above hazards. As for parading elephants at festivals, so long as the restrictions ensure that the elephants are not within easy reach of huge crowds they will achieve a desirable result. Nor should the animals be led through pathways between groups of spectators. A complete ban on the use of elephants in festivals may be avoided as it goes against centuries of tradition.

Absence of noisy fire works will in no way take away the sheen of temple festivals. It will only make these festivals more solemn and serene, in keeping with the atmosphere of temples which should essentially be places for prayers and contemplation.

B.K.S. Nair

Thiruvananthapuram

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