As Kolkata choked on toxic air following Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari accused those raising concerns over firecracker pollution of being communists opposed to Hindu traditions. His remarks were consistent with the concerted push by a section of the Right wing to portray criticism of firecrackers as an attack on Hindu religious practices. However, among those complaining about noise levels and pollution in Kolkata were members of Adhikari's own party and cabinet.
The Bengal CM made the remarks while addressing the media during a visit to the coastal town of Digha on Monday, where he had gone to attend an administrative meeting and visit the Kali Puja organised by the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Traders Association.
Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said, "There has been an awakening of Sanatan in this state, and some people have a problem with that. The people making these allegations (about firecrackers) had turned Hindu religious festivals into cultural fests... These people do not apply 'tika' or religious markings on their foreheads, they do not wear 'dors' or religious threads on their wrists, nor do they wear tulsi beads around their necks."
Adhikari further said, "The communists are raising this issue of firecrackers. We have controlled it in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives. Firecrackers were burst in some places even after 10 pm, and the police took necessary action. We have stopped DJs, and we do not want environmental pollution. But people will have fun during Diwali. They will celebrate with lights and burst firecrackers. Where is the problem with that?"
While acknowledging that firecrackers had been burst beyond the time limit prescribed by the Supreme Court, Adhikari sought to deflect criticism by pointing to action taken by the administration.
"Those complaining that sound crackers were burst for a few hours longer than the time stipulated by the Supreme Court should know that the Pollution Control Board and the police are taking action against such violations. I would request those complaining about firecrackers to also congratulate the state government for stopping DJs. I will not say that DJ incidents did not happen in remote corners, but I did not hear them blaring, at least near the roads," he said.
Firecrackers can Cure Diseases, Says Bengal Minister, then Apologises
According to the Supreme Court's directives, only green firecrackers were allowed to be burst between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali. However, statements by ministers, the West Bengal Police's deletion of a post urging responsible Diwali celebrations, and the general perception that a BJP government would not impose restrictions on Hindu festivals had collectively sent out a clear message: When it came to celebrating a majoritarian festival, the rules could be bent, if not ignored altogether.
BJP leader and Tollygunge MLA Papia Adhikary said on Monday, "Our honourable chief minister has said that people will definitely burst firecrackers. How can we celebrate Kali Puja without firecrackers? But we will burst them in accordance with the instructions of the local police station. Also, many diseases can be prevented simply by lighting firecrackers."
Although Adhikary later apologised and backtracked on her statement, claiming that the media had misinterpreted her remarks, the message had already got across.
A section of social media users also began targeting dissenting voices who tried to reason with their fellow citizens. A user named Partha Pratim Kundu, who describes himself as a wildlife photographer, asked in a post how elderlies, children and birds and animals survived in earlier times when there was no curb on firecrackers.
https://www.facebook.com/parthapk/posts/pfbid02BsFCCYjsrsMQyz2z26fo6yKTGdZ3uec4eGLXsNthiqoMg4ZSTohLoyYuj7HcduiBl
Another Facebook user, Chayan Mukherjee, who hailed the chief minister's indulgence on firecrackers, claimed in a post that "most of the Indian environmentalists and human rights activists, as well as professors at various institutions, receive funding from outside to oppose the country's development."
https://www.facebook.com/chayan.e.mukherjee/posts/pfbid02tN2YBKpnJfHrJMk6gA7qEJohu72yWCvV7Vo66Jp12g5k8t1nvA5fGcASus55dGaTl
Domkal's CPI(M) MLA Mostafijur Rahaman Rana had urged people to celebrate Diwali as a festival of lights, without noise and loud firecrackers. BJP MLA Tarunjyoti Tiwari gave the issue a communal twist by asking whether the legislator would also call for a 'bloodless Eid'.
https://www.facebook.com/TJT4002/posts/pfbid0HMvQh9xQGzAzjbQryYCZrkttGFu3iYA1utav1EFV2ABhz5PvBzgJG15zFbGDMSvrl
State BJP leader Keya Ghosh also criticised Mostafijur Rahaman for advocating a noise-free and smoke-free Diwali.
AQI in 500-600 Range
The political messaging was accompanied by widespread violations on the ground. A large section of the public openly flouted firecracker regulations. Almost all media outlets reported that loud firecrackers were burst throughout the night severely inconveniencing elderlies, children and also pets, birds and stary animals.
Kolkata's AQI reached 623 around 11 pm on Sunday night, reported The telegraph. At 12.51 am on Monday, IQAir classified the city's air quality as hazardous, recording an AQI of 532, with PM2.5 at 342 and PM10 at 405. Both particulate matter concentrations were several times higher than the WHO's recommended limits.
Left with no other option, residents in several localities took matters into their own hands, protesting against the rampant bursting of firecrackers and intervening to stop it. Facebook user Anitesh Chakraborty narrated his experience in a post.
Chakraborty went up to a neighbouring apartment's rooftop around 1.45 am to ask people bursting firecrackers to stop. While some residents supported his objection, others on nearby rooftops mocked him with gestures and taunts. Nevertheless, the intervention succeeded in stopping the firecrackers. He observed that the rooftops of apartment buildings had become spaces where people felt free to flout restrictions, and argued people to raise their voices against such violations.
https://www.facebook.com/anitesh.chakraborty.2025/posts/pfbid02KdQi7wktbh5CvZqihpCg6DcBkBmK6A4VV8UmnDDjSGqcAxigZKhZ91zwhVwBPeAil
According to a report by the Times of India, by 1 am, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board had received 84 noise-related complaints, while Kolkata Police had recorded 434 complaints.
Police rounded up 371 people for bursting illegal firecrackers, arresting 205 of them. Another 387 people were arrested for disorderly conduct. Several commentators pointed out that the most effective way to curb the use of illegal firecrackers was to stop their manufacture and sale. This year, only 238.6 kg of such products were seized, compared to 853 kg last year.
Kolkata's high-rise buildings were particular hotspots for violations of firecracker and noise restrictions. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari himself acknowledged that the rules could not be enforced in every high-rise apartment building, as the state did not have enough police personnel.
Even hospitals located in silence zones were not spared. According to a report by The Telegraph, areas near hospitals such as B C Roy, R G Kar, M R Bangur and Sishumangal also faced onslaught of loud firecrackers.
To Celebrate Responsibly or Not? Bengal Police in a Fix
Signs of this situation had emerged earlier, when the West Bengal Police deleted a firecracker awareness post within hours of publishing it, as previously reported by Alt News.
Published on the morning of November 5 with the caption, “Please celebrate responsibly. It’s our Diwali too!”, the AI-generated poster featured two stray cats and a dog shivering due to the loud noise of firecrackers. However, it was deleted within three hours.
The post's comment section was flooded with threatening messages directed at police and familiar Right-wing arguments, including questions about whether the police would also call for a 'bloodless Eid' and why the police and administration interfered only in Hindu festivals.
Similarly, Delhi Police, too, deleted a firecracker awareness post, while the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed a video featuring actor Dia Mirza advocating for a pollution-free Diwali from its social media accounts. Both decisions followed social media outrage from BJP-RSS supporters who claimed that the posts hurt Hindu religious sentiments.
A similar message by AISA leader Neha Bora also faced backlash from the far-right social media ecosystem.
BJP MLAs Complain about Noise Levels
Although a section of the Right wing encouraged unrestrained celebrations during Diwali and Kali Puja in the name of upholding Hindu traditions, some voices within the BJP struck a different note.
BJP leader and Sonarpur Dakshin MLA Roopa Ganguly tagged Kolkata Police in a post on Facebook stating she was unable to sleep because of the noise of firecrackers. However, the post is no longer available now.
State urban development minister Agnimitra Paul was seen roaming around the city in a police vehicle, attempting to curb the firecracker menace.
Paul said, "Please think about other people. Consider the condition of the elderly and the sick. The firecrackers are bursting so loudly that my heart is trembling."
https://vimeo.com/1245730808?fl=pl&fe=sh
However, these interventions came too little, too late. The ruling dispensation had, through its rhetoric and its reluctance to enforce restrictions, effectively given people a free hand to flout the law, with the environment and public health bearing the consequences.
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