Kollam: Many people in and around the Puttingal Devi temple feel that fireworks during festivities can continue with more safety measures after a massive fire tragedy struck the shrine complex leaving 113 dead and over 300 injured.
The fireworks which marks the culmination of the annual temple festival, should be continued as it has been a decades-old practise and part of their life, they said.
While many feel that the practice can be continued with more safety measures, some others think that high decibel crackers should be avoided during the display. Some suggested the use of Chinese fire crackers, which is said to be less dangerous and more colourful, to avoid such mishaps.
They said the fireworks display had been conducted for generations without any danger and the present tragedy was the result of negligence from the side of temple management. Octogenarian Ayyappan said the temple fest sans fireworks display was "unimaginable. What had happened on Sunday was the worst. It should not have happened. But, stopping of fireworks forever is not an ample solution for this," he said.
He said he had been seeing the fireworks display since his very childhood and he had very nostalgic memories about it. Echoing the sentiments, Vinod Kumar, residing nearby the temple, also said what is there in the festival if there is no fireworks.
"Where will we go watching the fireworks display if it is banned in our temple? The present tragedy is the result of the mismanagement and carelessness of the temple committee members and the fireworks contractor," a 19-year-old youth said.
However, women, who are yet to come out of the shock of the April 10 tragedy, said fireworks should be banned forever. Sreekala, a housewife whose maternal house near the temple had been severely damaged in the blast, said she was even ready to support if anybody comes with a public interest litigation against the firecracker display in the temple.
The Puttingal Temple, which suffered only minor damages, is likely to be reopen on Sunday. As per the custom, the practiser is to reopen the temple on the seventh day after the festival ends with a fireworks display.
However, there were differences of opinion on whether or not to open the temple on the seventh day this time, in view of the tragedy and the huge death toll.
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