Diwali celebrations in New Jersey: Viral video of firefighters dousing crackers draws mixed response
New Jersey: A viral video of firefighters spraying water in an area of a street where a Diwali cracker had been burst has attracted mixed reactions from netizens in spite of a clarification by the person who posted the clip that it was a safety measure.
The clip, shared by an Indian living in New Jersey, Mukul Verma, on his Instagram page, shows Indians celebrating Diwali by bursting crackers on a street before the firefighters intervened to spray water in the area.
Some social media users took the action by the firefighters in good spirit; some welcomed it and also criticized Indians for not changing their thinking style. A few netizens criticized the move, saying Indians were not permitted to celebrate their festivals.
A user reminded that local laws were not to be broken and any action that makes native people uncomfortable was not to be taken, as it would only spread more hatred for Indians and lead to unnecessary closure of job and education opportunities for all.
“It's really surprising that we Indians can't really mend our ways. Either it's in India or foreign lands we behave in a same manner and then we say that the worldwide criticism that we receive is not right (sic),” said another netizen.
On the other hand, a user took objection, saying Americans too burst crackers during New Year.
Verma posted a response in the comments sections supporting the firefighters, saying, “Just to clarify — this Diwali celebration was fully permitted by the state, and fireworks were officially allowed. All safety measures like roadblocks, ambulance & fire brigade were arranged by the city. Someone from the crowd suddenly lit skyshots which weren’t allowed, so the fire brigade sprayed water only for safety — not to stop Diwali. The police were managing the crowd. Please don’t spread hate; Diwali is about light, love & unity (sic)”
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
