Temple safety

In the aftermath of the tragedy at the Puttingal Devi Temple, the Kerala high court’s decision to hold a special session to consider the request to ban fireworks at all temples in Kerala is a good move to avert such tragedies in the future. But the refusal of the Travancore Devaswom Board, which governs nearly 1,000 temples in the state, to ban fireworks at temple festivals is disheartening. In the name of tradition we throw caution to the winds and the consequences are disastrous, as seen in the death of more than 100 people in Kollam, Kerala. In the race between law and tradition, tradition may get better support but it fails to offer real protection in reality.

Jayanthy S. Maniam Navi Mumbai