SPEECH ON DIWALI

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Respected Fellow Teachers and My Dear Students – Warm Greetings to all of you,I, arpit choudhary – of XII (A), would like to deliver a short speech on Diwali. As we all know that this is the festive season and our most favorite festival, i.e. Diwali is just around the corner. Of course, the excitement is in the air, but there is a huge environmental concern as well; lurking, at the back of my mind and I am sure this concern must be bothering most of you as well. But the matter of fact is that how many of us really take preventive measures and actually do something in this regard! Saying it is one thing, but actually getting into the groundwork is something else.

The environment is degrading day after day and it has become almost impossible for us to breathe fresh air or even breathe for that matter. Small children and old people are already finding it too difficult to cope with this disastrous environmental concern that has given rise to various health issues with difficulty in breathing being one of the major concerns.

Despite being very well aware about the degrading impact of crackers on our environment, we continue to buy them in an overwhelming manner and burst them without any tinge of regret. Smog being blanketed in the sky is one of the horrifying outcomes of pollution caused by bursting crackers. Students, my aim here is not to discourage you or prevent you from celebrating this most auspicious festival, but to make you understand the disastrous consequences of our actions which we don’t bother about. As the educated class, it becomes even a greater responsibility on our part to not only put an end to this exercise, but also to prevent others from doing so and raise greater awareness amongst the people around us.

Dear Students, this environment is ours and we belong to this planet Earth, so it becomes our utmost duty to conserve it at any cost not only for the coming generations but also as a means of paying tribute to our mother Earth which has blessed our lives with the abundance of natural wealth. It’s not as if without bursting crackers, our festival would become dull and boring, there are other ways too to make it happening and exciting. Light diyas, fly candle-lit kites, burst, if at all you want to, very few crackers that too which are least harmful for the environment, eat sweets and spread the joy of togetherness and love.

If only each one of us could gain a bit of sensitivity over this issue, we can save our environment from further degradation and help make our festivals more meaningful and add more substance to it. This is all from my side

You all know that the festival of Diwali is nearly approaching and I believe that you are excited to celebrate this auspicious festival to your fullest energies. However, I as the Principal of this school want you to be aware about the disastrous consequences of burning crackers during Diwali. I take great pleasure to sensitize you all on this important subject which has become a global concern in the contemporary scenario.

Bursting firecrackers is harmful not only for the environment, but they are equally dangerous for human beings and living creatures as crackers consist of certain amount of toxic substances which involves Sulphur dioxide, Carbon monoxide etc. These toxic gases block your respiratory system and reduce oxygen content in your body. They not only lead to air pollution, but are also an important reason behind the spread of noise pollution.

Largely, children and senior citizens get affected by the noise of crackers. The noise produced by these crackers can be so hazardous that it can even lead to permanent deafness. In fact, heart patients and those suffering from chronic bronchitis as well as low immune system are more prone to risks caused by air pollution.

We all should collectively pledge to save our mother earth which inevitably implies preserving ourselves so we can breathe in an environment free from pollutants and deadly gases.

Crackers which are appealing to your eyes might consist of heavy metals and a harmful gas referred to as “Carbon dioxide” which is more dangerous and harmful for our environment and increases the risk of an increased Global Warming as Carbon Dioxide is the biggest contributor to Global Warming.

We all mutually can take a step forward and contribute in different ways to preserve our environment. The Government of India has banned crackers but people still do not follow rules and regulations, so it needs to be well enforced. Several schools and organizations are striving hard to educate students and individuals about pollution free Diwali. Media channels and heads are providing encouragement to these campaigns by spreading awareness to those who are not sensitized regarding the hazardous consequences of burning crackers. Wide variety of programs is being aired on radio and television asking citizens to curb noise pollution.                                                                                                                  The festival of Diwali is just round the corner and I Nikita Sharma of class 12 has been assigned to deliver a speech on Diwali, which is often regarded as festival of lights and colors. People who follow Hindu religion consider Diwali to be an important occasion as it depicts victory of light over darkness and that is the utmost reason why we all light diyas in our houses.

You might have observed your mothers cleaning the household a week before Diwali, do you know the reason why cleaning is a very significant part of this festival? It is often believed that Goddess Lakshmi enters our household during this auspicious festival and showers blessings on everyone but she only arrives in homes which are orderly and neat.

We all have heard different stories from our grandparents regarding Diwali and every household has a different version altogether. Some of our families believe that it represents triumph of good over evil while others believe that the festival is celebrated to honor Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and God of wisdom, i.e. Ganesha. According to Ramayana, the Hindu epic, Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman to their home referred to as “Ayodhya” after an exile period of 14 years.

As per the Hindu Epic Mahabharata, some people celebrate it to remember the return of Pandavas to their kingdom after 12 years of banishment and one year of agyatavas. It is also believed that it was started celebrating when Goddess Lakshmi was born after churning the ocean by the gods and demons. Diwali celebration also indicates the start of a new Hindu year in the west and some northern parts of India. It is celebrated by the people of Sikh religion where they light up the Golden Temple in order to pay respect to their different Gurus. It is celebrated by the people of Jain religion to mark Nirvana and enlightenment attained by the Mahavira. Thus, India is a diverse country and different religions have varied aspects regarding several festivals.

Though, it is regarded as a festival of lights, but many people among us pollute the environment in order to celebrate a festival. Usage of firecrackers is not only dangerous for asthmatic patients but they are equally harmful for normal individuals as it congests the respiratory tract which leaves us being vulnerable. They release toxic gases in the air which includes carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide etc., which ultimately leads to air pollution.

Therefore, we all need to understand and take equal responsibility of “not bursting firecrackers” during Diwali as we need to protect our environment for future generations as well. It’s not only human beings who suffer from varied kinds of pollution, but it is hazardous for even animals and birds as the toxic pollutants reduce the oxygen level

Principal Ma’am, I would like you to know that this exercise is really helping all of us in overcoming our inhibitions and expressing ourselves without any hesitation. Friends, the speech topic for today is the most auspicious festival, i.e. Diwali. We all know that this festival is not far away and we already see a lot of excitement in people, in terms of going on a shopping spree, cleaning their houses, visiting relatives’ places, exchanging gifts, etc.  There’s a lot to do on this great festive season. With the onset of winter season and dusky evenings, lights illuminating everywhere, our soul can feel the joy that wraps the city around. Isn’t it?

A high level of excitement can be discerned in small children who cannot wait for the day and start bursting crackers even before Diwali approaches. The atmosphere itself becomes electrified. Most important of all, the ritual of Mata Lakshmi Puja during the evening is considered to be extremely auspicious as the entire family comes together for the puja and pray to God for the well-being of their family members. Besides, this festival is symbolic of the victory of good over evil, dispelling of darkness with light and doing away with all the negative forces with the positive forces.

However friends, this is not all! We also will have to look at the dark side of it, which has been given rise due to the gross negligence of the people. The environment is severely impacted because of the rise in pollution level and this negative impact can be even greater if we burst crackers.  This is an extremely dangerous exercise and can even prove fatal for the people, especially those who have a difficulty in breathing and who are prone to becoming ill while coming in contact with the polluted air.

We all know the harmful effects of bursting crackers, then why do we not put an end to it and make it safe and environment-friendly Diwali? This way we will not only be contributing towards the safety of our environment, but will also be making our festival more propitious for everyone around. So on this day, let’s say ‘NO’ to crackers and ‘YES’ to candles, diyas and lights which illuminate our surroundings and spread a sense of joy in the atmosphere. Eat sweets, exchange gifts and pray to the almighty for peace, harmony and prosperity.

With this I end my speech, thank you all!