Unnecessary Disturbances

December, the month of Christmas, is some days away, but the youth have already started throwing firecrackers indiscriminately, causing unnecessary disturbances in communities.

The global celebration is indeed a period for merry-making, especially for the youth. However, it is not meant to disturb other members of the community.

The detonation and subsequent explosion of firecrackers normally made people, especially the elderly panic, because there is no difference between the sound of the explosions and gunshots.

Government bans the use of firecrackers in the country during Christmas seasons, but some recalcitrant youth ignore the ban and continue to use the toy every year.

There were occasions when the use of firecrackers was reported to have caused injuries to individuals at public places and even in the comfort of their homes, just because some youth disobeyed government's orders.

Fireworks are used during important occasions to add beauty and glamour to the functions. Their use is not to cause inconvenience to people, but rather bring joy to them.

However, in our part of the world some of the youth intentionally ignite firecrackers and throw them at people with the idea of settling personal scores with them or for the fun of it.

To say the least, we would say the toys and other similar ones have outlived their usefulness in the country.

We would like to ask how those firecrackers managed to enter the country, since to the best of our knowledge they were banned last year and the year before.

This shows how porous our borders and other entry points are. Therefore security at those places needs to be tightened.

It would not be a prudent policy to allow those goods into the country before instructions are given against their use. “Prevention”, it is said “is better than cure”.

In this direction, opinion leaders must team up with community leaders to stamp out the indiscriminate use of firecrackers in their areas because they disturb public peace.

The directive would definitely not be palatable to a section of the public, but it would be in the interest of the larger interest of the people.

DAILY GUIDE urges the Ministry of the Interior to put its feet on the ground and ban the use of firecrackers once and for all, rather than banning them annually, because the annual ban is not effective.