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The explosion of firecrackers during a temple festival ritual in Kasaragod district of Kerala, which left over 150 people injured, could have been averted with greater caution and an adherence to safety regulations. That such an accident took place in a State where similar events have occurred at regular intervals in the last 40 years tells a story of unlearnt lessons. In February this year, a blast in a firecracker storage unit, during a temple fete in Kochi, claimed two lives and left 25 injured. Eight years ago, the Kerala High Court made the observation of an “unhealthy culture” glamourising every religious festival and ceremony with the use of fireworks and an elephant parade. The only saving grace in the accident on October 29, at the Anjootambalam Veererkavu temple in Neeleswaram, was that there was no loss of life. Some arrests have been made, two inquiries ordered and a special team is probing the accident. The State Human Rights Commission has initiated an investigation and sought an official report in 15 days.
In the given instance, two of the arrested persons allegedly ignited the firecrackers, with one of them said to have ignored the warnings of onlookers. The crackers were close to a shed where explosives were stored. In 2016, in the worst pyrotechnics tragedy in the State, 100 people died during a festival at the Puttingal Devi temple in Kollam district. It resulted in the High Court and the Union government issuing a number of directives. Days after the Centre amended the rules of the Explosives Act, the Revenue Minister of Kerala, K. Rajan said these posed an “open challenge” to the conduct of the Thrissur Pooram. On October 23, a Kerala Cabinet meeting expressed the view that the amendments would make it impossible to have the display of fireworks, a permanent fixture in religious festivals in the State, and that this should be conveyed to the Central government. The amendments, that were notified on October 11, included having a 200-metre distance between the site of the fireworks and the place of storage, and people watching from 100 m afar. Six months ago, there were protests when the authorities permitted fireworks, as part of the Thrissur Pooram, but only during the day. Even in 2016, an all-party meeting that was held following the Puttingal Devi temple accident, did not favour a complete ban on fireworks. This was the stand of the High Court too, in March 2024, while quashing an official order against the use of fireworks in a few temple festivals. In such a complex situation, there is no option but to strictly enforce safety norms. Even so, there are some who still argue that “cultural practices” should be balanced against safety norms. But clearly, no activity that endangers the safety of devotees can be allowed in any place of public worship.
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Published – November 02, 2024 12:10 am IST
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Safe worship: On Kerala and the safety of devotees
