[Diwali Crackers salesman doing brisk business right in the middle of the market - Photo: Kashi Holiday Pvt Ltd]
New Delhi: The trend of celebrating green and cracker-free Diwali amid campaign to boycott Chinese goods is taking a toll on cracker traders who were hoping to do good business this Diwali.
This depreciation in sale of crackers also is credited to the many 'anti-cracker' campaigns in educational institutions.
Sale of firecrackers in Sadar Bazaar, which is a wholesale market located in Old Delhi area, witnessed a visible decline, according to news agency ANI.
Surprisingly, the boycott of Chinese crackers called by some Hindutva groups has also contributed to low sales this year as people find India made crackers costlier.
Amid rising tension in Indo-Pak ties, there have been calls from VHP and some other Hindutva affiliates, including through social media platforms, about boycott of Chinese goods to protest against China's support to Pakistan.
"We have bought less firecrackers this time, as a buying firecrackers is like burning your own money and it also causes lots of pollution as well," said a Dilshad Garden resident who came to shop for crackers.
"We are only buying Indian made firecrackers only and pollution is also very important factor as it affects kids and animals," a firecrackers buyer Manish Chopra said.
Shopkeeper claim, that less sale of firecrackers this Diwali is due to the occurrence of four festivals in same month which puts a burden on salaried employees.
"The sale of firecrackers have dropped, Diwali is in end of the month. So it makes four festivals in one month so it becomes a burden for a salaried employee," Rajiv Gupta, a wholesaler said.
"Sale declined up to 35 percent and depreciation has been witnessed in the demand of high decibel crackers," a shopkeeper said.
Awareness among the masses regarding pollution and money management has been recognized as an appreciable effort to reduce the environmental pollution.
An Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) survey across major cities reported poor business owing to anti-cracker campaigns run by schools, resident welfare associations (RWAs) and others.
Amid calls from some quarters for boycott of Chinese goods in ongoing Diwali season, China on Thursday said any such move will negatively impact the India-bound investments from its enterprises and also the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
China also asserted that any such boycott would not have much impact on its exports, but "without proper substitutes, the biggest losers of the boycott of Chinese goods will be Indian traders and consumers".
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