Kolkata: Amid concerns over loud firecrackers, young students celebrated a green and noise-free Diwali with help from their schools.Pratyush Ganguly (11), who studies in a school in Baguiati, convinced his parents not to buy crackers for him. His father, Subhankar, said Pratyush was motivated by his school and that repeated alerts from his teachers changed his perspective. “When I asked my son which cracker he wanted, he vehemently protested. He also taught me to do something good for the society and for the environment for a better future,” Subhankar said.Srinjini Haldar, a class 12 student from Jadavpur Vidyapith School, shared a similar story. 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.”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. He said, “Till last year, I was crazy about bursting crackers. But after hearing so many things from our teachers, I realised this doesn’t really work. We should be responsible towards our fellow citizens and pets.”Almost all schools, private or govt-run, worked to sensitise students to push them towards green crackers or to stay away from celebrating a noisy Diwali.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. Aaryav Lahoti, a class 9 student, is among those who decided to celebrate a noise-free Diwali.Principal Ambica Mehra considers this sort of realisation among students an achievement, showing that repeated pep talks make children more responsible. She said, “As educators, we believe in leading by example and nurturing children who celebrate with joy, compassion, and responsibility towards a cleaner, healthier tomorrow.”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. “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. “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.
