Marriages in India are a grand celebration for the family. Be it for food, clothes, millions of people and decorations, big fat Indian weddings have all of these. The trouble grew when the fun time invited some menacing situations. Celebratory firing during weddings is a ritual that has been going on for a long time. It refers to the practice of firing a gun in the air to express joy and happiness.
The Northern part of India, specifically Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, celebrates weddings accompanied by gun firing in the sky as a sign of pride and honour in the wedding. The fun firing often leads to disastrous consequences that are irreversible. Injuries and deaths are a result of such rituals.
Celebratory firing is turning joyous weddings into a situation of grief in a fraction of a second. The situation is getting worse day by day. Recently, two waiters were shot at a wedding in Greater Noida. The shooters were arrested and were allegedly charged with an attempt to murder.
In the Aghapur hamlet of Noida, a two-year-old boy was shot during a celebratory firing and died as a result. This is how an occasional fun act is harming and claiming innocent lives. It's high time that serious steps should be taken to prevent these unwanted accidents. The loss of life of a two-year-old during the celebratory firing is a clear indication of the failure of the administration and society in particular. These kinds of harmful rituals should be banned by the common man to help prevent unwanted deaths.
The normalization of gun firing at weddings has been going on for decades at the cost of innocent lives. Even after strict laws binding to this practice, it is in the weddings and gets saved from the law most of the time due to familial connections. Although the law permits the use of firearms for self-defense, it is illegal to use them for ostentation or intimidation. In addition to putting lives in danger, firing in public, particularly at events like weddings, also detracts from society's ideals. It's time to admit that these behaviors are plain acts of violence rather than joyous or innocuous.
Marriage is a celebration of the auspicious start of two new lives, with tons of joy, faith, hopes and aspirations. Then, why do the people have to showcase their joy through the risky task of gun firing? Maybe the classic classist showoff never goes out of style. Maybe it's not a big deal for many powerful heads of society, for whom deaths are a daily affair, but the common people are having their lives shattered in the ongoing celebratory firings.
Even after the enforcement of strict laws regarding the matter, the situation remains the same. The core reason is the issuance of licensed guns for people who do not really need them. The licensed gun issued for the safety of an individual becomes a tool to jeopardize the lives of innocent people.
Individuals who used their power to uphold social dominance in the past would show off their strength; today, they employ weapons. This habit, which is feudalistic, represents a macho man who is indifferent to society. Since everyone is guaranteed to live their life, the traditional practice of shooting people to celebrate happiness is not a desirable way to enjoy celebrations. Instead, attempt to develop eco-friendly alternatives that don't take a life. Additionally, the government ought to enforce stringent oversight of these operations and grant permits only after completing the required paperwork and following the law.
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