My friend, Yogita Bhayana wrote:"A week before Diwali, keep your car stocked with small boxes of sweets, chocolates, crayons, small toys, ear-rings or any other small knick-knacks that can be useful. Let the good triumph over the evil in a real way."This sentiment on social media becomes beautiful if it translates into action. Instead of gifting cut flowers, gift a plant this Diwali. A few sparrows have begun to return to Delhi, scaring them off or literally killing them with loud crackers is not the ideal way to spend the festival of lights. smile and wish them a very happy Diwali. Cheap Chinese crackers have flooded the Indian market, despite the Centre&T5 High Efficiency Tube39;s ban on them. I myself have been suffering bad throat andlung infections for the last two months, I have had to take a daily dose of antibiotics, and have done two courses already! There are eco-friendly crackers made from recycled paper. Gift them to the boys who fill up petrol at petrol pumps, the old cobbler who sits under a tree in your neighbourhood, the girls who sell toys/balloons at traffic signals, the tailor who does your shirt buttons/trouser alterations, kids who beg on the roads, the lady who sits at the street side with a wicker basket of fresh vegetables, the artisan selling clay lamps and diyas, the people who collect your trash. While Delhi may not be able to match that kind of restraint, we can certainly try to cut back on the number of explosives and opting for those ecofriendly crackers I mentioned earlier.

It is worth the risk of being unpopular with our boys and men, and it is time to send out a message of being more responsible about our environment. Let's not think about impressing our rich friends by circulating the same Diwali gifts, but let us give some gifts to the under-privileged. Use the bio-degradable plates and glasses that are all the rage these days at all your parties..These crackers have not met the standard tests of safety that is imposed on those manufactured locally. As a result, the toxic haze over Indian cities every Diwali leaves residents gagging for oxygen. Let Lakshmi in with Diyas, lights and maybe a few legally obtained crackers that do not kill half the population of tiny birds that wing their way to Delhi for the winters. Write a cheque for the flood victims in Kerala instead of blowing it up on crackers, that is what I am telling my nieces and nephews this year. It's not about the loud crackers or how much you spend at gambling… it's about the little things you can do to put a smile on someone's face.

They may be cheaper but are very dangerous because they contain an inferior quality potassium chlorate and perchlorates that are banned in India because it's not at all suitable for the Indian climate. Other things that you can do for # mother earth this Diwali, is use earthen lamps and diyas, go shopping with your own jute or cloth bags and avoid the plastic bags the stores may offer you, technically they have been banned. Not because I am a damp squib who doesn't like it when my nephews and nieces burst crackers on Diwali, but because we live in different times.A friend posted this on her Facebook and it really touched my heart, mostly because it echoes what Diwali really means to me. The noise produced by these crackers is also within the decibel limits set by the Central Pollution Control Board. It certainly had me stocking up my car with goodies and I didn't stop there. Use natural colours for the Rangoli like coloured pulses, fresh flowers and bright yellow turmeric and red kumkum. The smile that lights up their faces at your unexpected gesture is more illuminating than a 1,000 electric lamps!! This Diwali, light a life and pass it on.