Statement from NDP Leader on Diwali

Diwali is the festival of lights – a time to celebrate the light, the hope, and the inner strength within each of us.

It is a time for many traditions to be shared with family and friends, and a time to look to the bright future ahead.

Every Canadian can share in that hope for the future.

Around the world, our multicultural nation is a beacon of hope. We pride ourselves on our openness and our compassion. We strive to build an inclusive society, where all people are respected and celebrated.

But we’re not there yet. So we must draw on the good within each of us, to open our hearts and minds, and increase our understanding of one another. So that one day we may share a country where race and religion; color and language are not barriers, but rather reasons to celebrate each other.

On behalf of New Democrats everywhere, I wish you and your family the very best at this special time of hope and light.

Best wishes for Diwali and happy New Year!
Diwali aur naiya saal mubarak!


source: http://www.voiceonline.com/2011/10/21/statement-from-ndp-leader-on-diwali604/

Prime Minister of Canada on Diwali

Prime Minister of Canada on Diwali

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on Diwali:

“Laureen and I would like to extend our best wishes to all South Asian Canadians and the many people around the world who will be celebrating Diwali – the festival of lights. “Diwali commemorates the triumph of good over evil. It is a time to gather with family
and friends to reflect on the events of the past year and on hopes and aspirations for the
future. It is also a time to count blessings and to remember to help those in need.
“I invite all Canadians to take part in vibrant Diwali festivities across the country and
to experience the rich culture of Canada’s South Asian communities who contribute so
much to the fabric of our nation.
“Happy Diwali!
“Namaste.”

source: http://www.voiceonline.com/2011/10/21/prime-minister-of-canada-on-diwali604/

Diwali 2011: Celebrating the Festival of Lights

Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is celebrated in the Hindu calendar months of Ashwin and Kartika, and in the western calendar on Oct. 26, 2011.

Diwali is a joyful, festive occasion for all who celebrate in India and throughout the diaspora. For many in the Hindu community, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year. A common greeting is Shubh Diwali (Happy Diwali).

Sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, the celebration of Diwali symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. In the Hindu tradition, Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to their kingdom Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana. This story is recounted in the ancient Sanskrit epic, Ramayana. In the Sikh tradition, Diwali, known as Bandi Chhor Divas ('prisoner release day'), is celebrated to mark the release of the sixth Guru Hargobind from imprisonment by the Mughals. Jains celebrate Diwali as the day when Lord Mahavira, the leader who laid down the central tenets of Jainism, attained enlightenment.

Also known as the festival of lights, in most parts of the world Diwali will be celebrated for one day on Oct 26, 2011 with people cleaning and decorating their homes, visiting temples, lighting lamps, conducting special prayers and gathering with family and community.

in India, however, Diwali celebrations are spread over five days. The first day is Dhanteras during which most Hindus buy gold and other precious metals with the belief that it will invoke prosperity. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi and according to legend, it was on this day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In many places, this day is also known as chhoti diwali ('small' Diwali) when Hindus make rangolis (colorful floor decorations made of rice or sand) and buy clothes, sweets and other delicacies. This is the major day of celebration in many parts of South India.

On the third day, Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, is worshipped. This is the major day of Diwali celebrations in most parts of India when many Hindus visit each other's homes, light diyas and set off firecrackers. The fourth day is Govardhan Puja during which Hindus worship Lord Krishna, pay special respect to cows and express appreciation for nature and food. The fifth day is Bhaiduj when brothers and sisters express their love and affection for each other.

Illegal cracker store unearthed, two arrested

PANIPAT: Police here have unearthed a cracker store, allegedly functioning from a residential area in Tehsil Camp area of the city and arrested two persons for violating the rules. They also confiscated crackers worth over Rs 1 lakh.

On a tip-off that some persons were hoarding crackers after renting an accommodation in Jawahar Colony ahead of Diwali, police arrested Praveen Chabbra and Jatinder Chabbra, brothers, who owned a general store in the same locality and had set up this store behind their shop.

Police said that the lure of making huge profits by buying crackers at lesser rates and selling these at higher rate near the festival, proved too much for these people, who did not bother much about putting lives of many in danger by storing crackers in residential areas.

A few days back, three persons had lost their lives in neighbouring Karnal district, as a major fire broke out in a similar store in Shri Ram Colony there. Police said that a case has been registered against the two. The crackers confiscated would be sold through open auction as it was not possible for them to store these at the police station for long, police said.


source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Illegal-cracker-store-unearthed-two-arrested/articleshow/10448413.cms

Diwali turns out to be a torture fest for animals

Imagine loud bombs are going off everywhere around you. You panic and run around blindly. Suddenly you’re caught, and a string of firecrackers is tied to you. The crackers start going off burning the skin right off your sweating torso.

Every Diwali, the city turns into an apocalyptic nightmare for animals, especially stray dogs. According to the BMC census, there are 70,000 dogs in the city, most of them strays.

But, Canines Can Care, a canine welfare organisation, has taken it upon itself to make the streets a little safer for dogs this Diwali.

They have started a campaign, Festival of Kindness, which aims to spread awareness in schools and firms about the havoc that crackers wreck on dogs. They are also counselling people on how to take care of their pets during the festival.

“We want to make sure that the festival is a happy time for all, animals included,” says Madhvi Tangella, 33, a counsellor with Canines Can Care.

Such initiatives are very essential, said Sudnya Patkar, 64, who is the founder of In Defence of Animals. “The cruelty towards animals during Diwali is shocking. People tie crackers on the tails of dogs and donkeys and watch them run around in pain and fear.

They burst crackers in front of bullocks and horses,” said Patkar.
A dog’s hearing ability is seven times that of humans. Certain frequencies of sound register 40 times more loudly in dogs than they would in humans.

Veterinarian cardiologist Sangeeta Vensarkar Shah said: “Every Diwali, you see scared stray dogs running on the streets. There is no one to comfort or look after them.” The bang of a bomb is so loud that it can cause a heart attack among dogs, even if they are in the safety of a house.

“I once had a woman call me up frantically screaming that her dog dropped dead after a bomb went off in front of their house,” said Shah.

Sunish Subramanian, secretary of the Plants and Animal Welfare Society of Mumbai, said that even birds and rodents are affected during Diwali. “Can we not celebrate without being cruel to the creatures around us? If a dog or a cat or a pigeon takes refuge in your building, don’t drive them away they’re just looking for a place to hide because they’re scared,” he said.


source:dnaindia.com

Diwali special: With greater awarenes, firecracker sales to be hit this festival

Diwali special: With greater awarenes, firecracker sales to be hit this festival

This Diwali, expect less noise and less fumes.

Greater environmental awareness, rising prices of firecrackers and anti-cracker campaigns have taken their toll on the sale of firecrackers.

The demand for firecrackers is likely to be fall by 35% to 40% this year, revealed a recent survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

Moreover, a 30% to 40% increase in the cost of crackers over last year is also expected this Diwali.

But this has not dampened the spirit of most Mumbaikars. “We are not going to call off celebrations because of the price rise. But, we will surely cut the budget for firecrackers considerably,” said Mona Bharatiya, a homemaker from Thane. “We usually spend Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 on firecrackers.”

The apex industry body interviewed 250 firecracker manufacturers in Sivakasi at Tamil Nadu and 500 dealers and retailers in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Lucknow from September to October 15 to gauge people’s sentiments in the domestic firecracker industry. The survey found that citizens are more inclined to protecting the environment and not burning a hole in their pocket this year.

Most of the firecrackers sold across the country are made at Sivakasi, where 1.5 lakh people work in around 10,000 firecracker factories.

Manufacturers blamed the hike in fuel prices, increased road freight, escalating raw material (sulphur, potassium and nitrate and waste paper) prices due to shortage have led to slump in profits for the firecracker industry.

“It is great that people have started thinking seriously about their health and the environment too. This is definitely because of the aggressive anti-crackers campaign launched by most schools who educate their students about the harmful effects of firecrackers. Children are more sensitive to the cause and even influence their families,” said Dr Rakesh Kumar, director, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_diwali-special-with-greater-awarenes-firecracker-sales-to-be-hit-this-festival_1601910

Price rise may defuse Diwali spirit in Ahmedabad

Diwali is next week but the shops selling crackers are not yet seeing buyers. Those dealing in crackers say the whopping rise of about 40%-50% in the prices of crackers in comparison to last year is putting customers off.

A visit to cracker stalls at Dilli Darwaza and other places in the city tells one how the owners are anxiously waiting for people to make purchases for the 'Festival of Lights'. The colourful crackers in various shapes and sizes are yet to be picked up by customers.

Said Ashish Khajanchi, a wholesaler: "Rise in prices of raw materials like paper and chemicals has led to the rise in the prices of crackers. Also, due to diesel price hike, the transport cost of crackers has gone up." According to him, this is the highest increase in the prices of crackers in last few years.

So will the price rise mean that the quantity of crackers to be sold will come down this year? A retailer at Dilli Darwaza, Roop Lal, said: "We are not sure whether this year there will be good business or not. It all depends on the last three days when the sales actually pick up. Now, there are customers but the response is not as good as it was last year during this period. So, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that the sales pick up in the last three days."

Another retailer, Vyasuddin Ghulam, said, "I am in the business of crackers for long and I have never seen such poor response from customers. I believe this year we are witnessing the worst market and demand for crackers."

When asked about whether people will raise their cracker-buying budget in view of high prices, retailers say it can be known only in the last three days. "Those who normally spend anywhere between Rs2,000 and Rs2,500 are upper class people high spending capacity. However, whether this class will spend this much or not this year will be known during the last three days,'' said a shop owner.


source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_price-rise-may-defuse-diwali-spirit-in-ahmedabad_1601676