Fireworks businesses under fire again
I posted a news story in this regard a few days earlier as well and now as Shab-e-Baraat is coming near, fireworks manufacturers are under the gun again.
Lahore Police have arrested 31 shopkeepers in a crackdown on fireworks manufacturers a day before Shab-e-Baraat. They would be charged under Section 286 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the ‘dangerous offensive trade or profession’ of the Local Government Ordinance of 2001. The police seized thousands of boxes of match bombs, 1,200 fountain flares (anar), 1,100 crackers, and 1,400 packets of sparklers.
I guess this law isn’t for people manufacturing, smuggling or selling guns, bombs, or bullets and other explosives etc. ; the things which are much more dangerous than these measely fireworks which are the main form of substinance for these poor people.
This action by the government is already sending this business underground resulting in more shady practices. There are reports that traders and their employees roam the markets offering fireworks to people. When people agree, they are taken to secret stores where fireworks are kept. There are only eight people in the city who have licenses to manufacturing fireworks, and about 400 people are involved in the trade. Licenses require certain safety precautions to be adhered to but most of the people in this business to are poor to effectively arrange all the precautionary measures. The government needs to come up with a better plan to deal with this issue instead of going around and arresting these people who have no other means of income that their business.
Selling death to keep one’s stomach alive is hardly a dignified way of living. Just how many lives do the kite strings need to take? How many explosions in neighbourhoods it will take for this habit to stop? When will the thick skulls of those be penetrated that they are causing harm. I wouldn’t blame the sellers alone, i would blame the buyers too for they keep the business alive. Gov doesn’t need to ease in this case because already these people ignore security and safety warnings. If anything, rules need to be tightened a bit.
This is totally bull crap, just because (or i dont fucking know why!) there’s no control on “aatish-bazi” it doesn’t mean that kick the whole damn thing.
Have anyone heard of “Las Fallas”, a festival in Spain, where the whole week is dedicated to fireworks, ranging from street to street to giant statues of fireworks; and it’s a rarity that if somebody even get a bruise, why is that? where the whole city plays with fireworks whole week and “just have fun” whereas we have a single night of fireworks and all hell breaks loose.
IMHO, the quality and sale of fireworks only need to be controlled and many accidents can be avoided.
and I wonder why no moron have puked the idea of “it’s a night for prayer only” already?
No Basant, No Shab-e-barat, no nothing. Soon we’ll become a nation without festivals.