'If firecrackers are to be banned…': What SC said on Delhi elites and the poor

SC bench led by CJI BR Gavai says whatever policy on banning firecrackers is formed, should be pan-India, cannot have special policy for Delhi where elites live

The Supreme Court on Friday made pointed observations about lives of the elite and the employment conditions of poor people, as it heard a case about the ban on firecrackers in Delhi about a month ahead of the Diwali festival. Here are key comments made by the court:

Top court was hearing a challenge against year-long ban applicable to the sale and manufacture of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. (Unsplash/Representative image)

• Why just NCR?: The SC bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai questioned the geographical extent of such a ban only in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). “If citizens in NCR are entitled to pollution-free air, why not so for people in other cities?”
• The Amritsar example: The CJI said he was in Amritsar last winter for a visit to the Golden Temple, and was told the pollution there was worse than in Delhi. “Just because Delhi is the Capital city and Supreme Court is situated here, should citizens in other cities not get pollution-free air,” the bench observed.
• The livelihood question: The court was hearing a challenge against the year-long ban applicable to the sale and manufacture of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, filed by traders who said livelihood of several families is dependent on the industry. The court said, “When we impose the ban on workers, they are left without work. It is the poor who suffer.”
• For same policy for whole of India: The bench also said, “Whatever policy on banning firecrackers is there, it should be pan-India. We cannot have a special policy for Delhi where the elites are there. If firecrackers are to be banned, they should be banned throughout the country. There should be the same policy throughout the country.”

Firecracker traders have pointed out that due to orders passed by the top court, their licenses were being revoked even though these were originally valid till 2027-28.

The court directed status quo for now, and posted the matter for hearing on September 22 next, ahead of the Dussehra and Diwali festivals.