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US firefighters spray water on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations, video sparks debate: 'Bahar to safai rehne do'
A viral viral shows US firefighters spraying water during a Diwali celebration, sparking debate over how Indians celebrate abroad.
A video of firefighters spraying water during a Diwali celebration in the United States has gone viral online, prompting mixed reactions from social media users. The clip, shared on Instagram, shows Indians celebrating Diwali by bursting crackers on a public street, before firefighters move in and begin spraying water in the area.
The video was shared on Instagram by Mukul Verma, an Indian living in New Jersey, who later clarified in the comments that the firefighters were not shutting down the celebration, but were on standby for safety. Addressing the incident, Verma wrote: “Just to clarify — this Diwali celebration was fully permitted by the state, and fireworks were officially allowed. All safety measures like roadblocks, ambulance & fire brigade were arranged by the city.”
The clarification came after some users assumed the authorities were trying to disperse or stop the celebrations. However, Verma explained that the spraying was precautionary because skyshot fireworks were not part of the permitted list. The celebration itself, he said, was fully authorised, with emergency services deployed in advance as part of official safety protocols.
“Someone from the crowd suddenly lit skyshots which weren’t allowed, so the fire brigade sprayed water only for safety — not to stop Diwali. The police were managing the crowd. Please don’t spread hate; Diwali is about light, love & unity,” Verma wrote.
Video sparks discussion
The video has since sparked a discussion about how Indians behave abroad, with some users arguing that celebrations should be more mindful of local rules and neighbourhood norms.
“NRI live outside India and act more patriotic than Indian's for some reason,” one user wrote.
“Even if allowed, you still shouldn't have done that,” remarked another.
“Stop doing anything which breaks the local laws or the local origins are not comfortable, as more hatred will be spread for Indians and unnecesaary job and education opportunities will be closed for all,” commented a third user.
“It's really surprising that we Indians can't really mend our ways . Either it's in India or foreign lands we behave in a same manner and then we say that the worldwide criticism that we receive is not right,” said one person.
