Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 23 October 2022
Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated with much pomp and fervour throughout the world. India lights up during the festival of Diwali and people burst firecrackers to celebrate the festival. While the whole world celebrates Diwali with firecrackers, the residents living in the remote Nicobar District have no choice except to light diyas.
The residents of Great Nicobar have not had the opportunity to celebrate Diwali with firecrackers for the last 18 years. Other Islands of the Nicobar District are no different, firecrackers have been unavailable in most Islands of the Nicobar District for many years.
Nicobar Times spoke to the Shopkeepers of Great Nicobar, who informed us that they have had enough bad experiences in the past years regarding getting a license for firecrackers from the Deputy Commissioner Office, Nicobar District and they have now stopped applying for the license. The Shopkeepers added they used to apply for the license to store firecrackers almost 06 months before Diwali, but the local authorities conducted the required survey just three days before Diwali and the license in most cases was issued after Diwali.
To transport firecrackers from Port Blair the shopkeepers need to get the required licenses issued at least a month before Diwali. The shopkeepers allege that the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in the past years has delayed the issue of the license deliberately, because of which they have stopped applying for the required license to import, store and sell firecrackers.
The administrative lethargy of the District Administration in the past years has spoiled several Diwalis of the thousands of residents residing in Nicobar District.
On 6th October 2022, Mr. K C Murugan, Mandal President, BJP, Campbell Bay had written to the Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay to allow CCS Ltd. and CCWS Ltd. to sell firecrackers at Campbell Bay, but no arrangements were made even after his request.