Kids at a school with art on a green Diwali
Pratyush Ganguly (11), who studies in a school in Baguiati, convinced his parents not to buy crackers for him. Srinjini Haldar, a class 12 student from Jadavpur Vidyapith School, shared a similar story. Sarthak Ghosh, a class 9 student from the same school, said the school helped him think differently and find ways to celebrate Diwali in a new way. Aaryav Lahoti, a class 9 student, is among those who decided to celebrate a noise-free Diwali.
His father, Subhankar, said Pratyush was motivated by his school and that repeated alerts from his teachers changed his perspective. He also taught me to do something good for the society and for the environment for a better future,” Subhankar said. She said she took an initiative to sensitise her friends to say no to noisy crackers. Srinjini said, “This year, I am celebrating the festival of lights with friends and family along with tasty food and home decoration with colourful diyas. He said, “Till last year, I was crazy about bursting crackers. DPS Newtown organised a march involving its students, who held placards with slogans like “Save Environment” and “No to Noisy Crackers”, to sensitise local residents. Debdutta Bera Adhya, principal of Techno India Group Public School, Ariadaha, said they involved students in various activities to teach them about the importance of celebrating a green Diwali. “The true success of Diwali should not be measured by the grandeur of our celebrations, but by whether the air remains breathable, the environment remains protected, and no one feels forgotten,” he said.
“When I asked my son which cracker he wanted, he vehemently protested. But after hearing so many things from our teachers, I realised this doesn’t really work. “Every little act became a lesson in responsibility. By choosing to celebrate mindfully, our children understood that festivals are happiest when everyone around us, including nature, can share in the joy,” she added. South City International School principal Vishal Bhandari felt the real success is to motivate students to celebrate Diwali safely without harming nature or others.