ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਦਿਹਾੜਾ ਕਾਹਦਾ, ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਗੰਦ ਇਸ ਦਿਨ ਪੈਂਦਾ 

ਛੁੱਟੀ ਵਾਲੇ ਦਿਨ ਆਪਾਂ ਇੱਕਠੇ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਬਹਿੰਦੇ, ਸਾਰੇ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜਾਂਦੇ, ਸਿਰ ਜੋੜ ਕੇ ਬਹਿੰਦੇ, ਵੀਚਾਰਾਂ ਕੀ ਕਰਦੇ... ਕਿ ਬੰਧਨ ਬਹੁਤ ਪੈ ਗਏ, ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਬੰਧਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਮੁਕਤ ਹੋਈਏ... ਜਾਤ ਪਾਤ ਦੇ ਬੰਧਨ ਪੈ ਗਏ, ਪਖੰਡਵਾਦ ਕਿੰਨਾਂ ਫੈਲ ਗਿਆ, ਨਸ਼ੇ ਕਿੰਨੇ ਆ ਗਏ, ਪਤਿਤਪੁਣਾ ਕਿੰਨਾਂ ਆ ਗਿਆ, ਲੱਚਰਪੁਣਾ ਕਿੰਨਾ ਆ ਗਿਆ...

**DIWALI FIREWORKS?**…celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, but keep Darbar Sahib’s atmosphere clean | SIKHS DON’T PROMOTE POLLUTION | ਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ ਮਨਾਓ ਪਰ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਾ ਵਾਯੁਮੰਡਲ ਸਾਫ ਰੱਖੋ | Bandi Chhor Divas Manao, Par Darbar Sahib Da Vayumandal Saaf Rakho | 28.10.16, Dhilwan Diwaan | Dhadrianwale

Even young children in education are now fully aware of the dangerous effect pollution has on the Earth. We read in Gurbani everyday:

Pavan Guroo Paanee Pithaa Maathaa Dhharath Mehath ||
Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all. 

So why are we polluting the atmosphere every year with fireworks when celebrating “Diwali” - or as Sikhs, Bandi Chhor Divas?

Children are coughing, those with asthma get breathing difficulties, heart patients face danger from the thunderous sounds and the smoke has considerable negative consequences on the atmosphere. Should we as Sikhs be knowingly promoting the pollution of the atmosphere, when we have the choice to avoid it?

If not, then should we be polluting the atmosphere surrounding Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, considered to be our pure, central ‘Pavitar Asthaan’?

Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa Dhadrianwale raised these important questions at the Dhilwan (Barnala) Diwaan on 28 October 2016 and discussed the solutions in front of the thousands gathering.

We get together at the local Gurdwara Sahib for Bandi Chhor Divas holiday each year to celebrate and we should continue to do so. Sikhs who can should continue to gather in large numbers at Darbar Sahib to celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas. However, this should not be celebrating by burning money in the form of fireworks. Damaging the atmosphere with fireworks is not giving the due respect to the Earth. We should have been gathering at Darbar Sahib, putting our heads together and discussing how to free ourselves from the imprisonment of the many evils that are affecting the nation today. There should have been seminars and progressive world level discussions. If we are a separate nation, then an example should have been made to the world that this is how Sikhs celebrate with humanist and environmental issues also at the forefront.

Instead, what is supposed to be a day of purity has in actual fact become a day when the opposite is thriving – impurity. In India, on this day the alcohol and meat shops have the biggest queues, clubs and pubs are full, as are gambling shops, there is dancing and partying and screaming all night, there are the “Diwali concerts” and it is mainly anti-Gurmat activities that flourish. Is this Sikhi? Go to the Gurdwara and money is being burned in the form of fireworks that are furthering the pollution of the Earth. Fireworks at the Gurdwara is not some sort of “Puraatan Maryada” as some may try to argue in order to make an issue.

Indeed, we should go to our local Gurdwara and for those of us who can we should go to Darbar Sahib on Bandi Chhor Divas, we should put our heads together and contemplate on the Chardi Kala of the Khalsa Panth. But is the lighting of fireworks that damage the atmosphere around Amritsar in any way beneficial to the Khalsa Panth? Is that not if anything religious sacrilege of the purity of Darbar Sahib? Do the rockets that go into the sky not fall back down into the Sarovar?

When Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa said “Paani” in the Sarovar they made a worldwide issue, but when they allow firework rockets to fall into the Sarovar then is that not Beadbi?

Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa said, “Feel free to shoot me the day I say don’t bathe in Sarovars, I’ve never said that and never will, neither have I ever said there is no need for Darbar Sahib”. To think he did say that would in any event be bizarre at the very least.

What he said during a Diwaan in the USA was, “Where we bring back Paani, we should also bring back Baani, where we bathe our body in the water, we should also bathe our mind in Gurbani”.

Over this entirely valid point they intentionally created a worldwide issue, a propaganda campaign. Their famous Katha Vachaks began speaking on live telecasts and on social media that Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa had “attacked the Sarovars”, “attacked Darbar Sahib”, done “nindya” etc. Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa said, “I ask these Katha Vachaks will you now also speak on Diwali against the pollution of the atmosphere around Darbar Sahib, will your mouth now open against this sacrilege?...or will there be silence due to fear they will take away your positions of duty, stop your Katha and your live telecasts?”

Bhai Ranjit Singh Khalsa had said nothing wrong and they still spoke without reason. Why are they silent today when it comes to preventing unacceptable pollution at Darbar Sahib, for which there is a valid reason to indeed speak-up against?

We have become enemies of common sense and we abuse those who do try to speak sense.

If we try to explain to the children we should avoid any activity, where we can, that damages the Earth they will question, “You are stopping me, but then why can they do fireworks at Darbar Sahib?”

Will anyone now speak up against this “Beadbi” at Darbar Sahib?