A day's revelry won't impact much; lighting firecrackers our culture, benefits workers: K Annamalai
Chennai, Oct 28: BJP leader K Annamalai on Monday exhorted people to buy and burst "a lot of firecrackers" on Deepavali, keeping in mind the welfare of the workers involved in fireworks industry.
Earlier, cracker sale hovered around Rs 6000 crore annually, but in the past few years, the usage of crackers has reduced.
"There is concern of environmental impact. At some places, it is an opinion that has been thrust upon," he said in a post on 'X.'
He posted a short video on Deepavali, with his voice-over explaining the need to burst crackers.
Deepavali is being celebrated on October 31 this year.
The BJP's state unit chief recalled he had last year said what will happen if firecrackers are burst on a single day.
India, at the 125th spot on annual CO2 emissions was way behind the US (16th place) and China (25th), he claimed.
"But we are discussing bursting crackers for just one day as a major issue. Only we are aware that bursting crackers ensures livelihood for many. About eight lakh people are directly and indirectly connected to the fireworks industry," which is mainly confined to Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district, he said.
"They make firecrackers for our joy and they are made amid a lot of challenges. Shouldn't we buy and burst crackers for their joy. Only a flourishing firecracker trade will ensure ancillary units survive," he said.
Even the printing press business has its own issues.
During the Deepavali festive season, the dreams of lakhs of small traders who dream of repaying their debts with the sale of fireworks will also come true when people light these firecrackers in good numbers, he added.
"Bursting crackers is not just our culture, but also our people's livelihood, the overall economy of our Sivakasi people. Your dear younger brother Annamalai requests you, buy a lot of crackers and burst them. Nothing will happen by lighting crackers for one day in a year. Be careful while doing so, don't cause any harm to others. So many living beings including animals live along with us, we should burst crackers without causing any trouble to them."
"Let us celebrate Diwali in a way our brothers and sisters in Sivakasi benefit from that," the BJP leader said.
பட்டாசு வெடிப்பது நம்ம கலாச்சாரம். நம் மக்களின் வாழ்வாதாரம். நம் சிவகாசியின் ஒட்டுமொத்த பொருளாதாரம்.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 28, 2024
நம் மகிழ்ச்சிக்காகப் பட்டாசு தயாரிக்கும் தொழிலாளர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரத்துக்காக, நாம் அனைவரும், நம்மால் முடிந்த அளவுக்குப் பட்டாசு வாங்கி வெடிக்க வேண்டுமென்று கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறேன்.… pic.twitter.com/t1i0LvFNFH
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
