Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 5 : Bollywood actor Soni Razdan has clarified her earlier remark on bursting firecrackers, asserting that her comments were not directed at any religion but were aimed at highlighting the dangers of air pollution and its impact on public health.
In a post on X, Razdan said bursting firecrackers does not make anyone nationalistic, just as choosing not to burst them does not make anyone anti-national. She stressed that knowingly contributing to air pollution and putting an entire community's health at risk for personal pleasure was a more serious concern.
"To everyone on X who wishes to twist my post into something that it is not… I think you are simply unable to see the woods for the trees," she wrote.
Clarifying her use of the term 'anti-national', the actor said, "Let me clarify something, since my use of the word anti-national seems to have caused so much confusion.  Bursting crackers is not what makes you nationalistic. And choosing not to burst them is certainly not anti-national."
"What I find deeply irresponsible, however, is knowingly contributing to the appalling air pollution that is making it increasingly difficult for people to breathe. If we are going to use the term anti-national, then surely putting the health of an entire community at risk for the sake of a few moments of personal pleasure is a far more relevant place to start," she added.
Questioning why a discussion on public health was being turned into a religious debate, Razdan underlined that her remarks were about air pollution and its consequences for people across communities.
"And must every conversation about something as basic as public health be turned into a debate about religion? This is NOT about religion. It is about AIR. It is about children falling ill, missing school and struggling to breathe. It is about the health and wellbeing of every citizen of this country, irrespective of their religion, faith or beliefs," she wrote.
She further urged people not to misinterpret her message about collective responsibility, emphasising that clean air was essential for every child.
"Please don’t twist a simple message about collective responsibility into something it was never intended to be. Because these are your children too. They are everyone's children. And they deserve to breathe clean air. Surely that is something we can all agree on?" she added.
https://x.com/Soni_Razdan/status/2118198213291483343?a=hzxPwpQRcQPngwNhhkE&s=20
Earlier, on Wednesday, Razdan had taken to Instagram to express concern over the impact of firecrackers on air quality and children's health. Describing the practice as "anti-life, anti-health, and yes… anti-national", she had urged people to reconsider bursting even a single cracker during Diwali.
"Any parent of a young child will tell you how much their children are suffering because of air pollution. How many school days they miss because of illness. So if you tell me that, in such circumstances, it is perfectly alright to burst even one cracker this Diwali, I can only say that it seems to me to be anti-life, anti-health, and yes… anti-national. Health is a choice we make for ourselves and our children. Let us make the right one..," she had written.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DfSqST5IXKC/?hl=en
Her clarification comes amid a wider discussion around firecracker use and air pollution ahead of Diwali. Earlier, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had shared an awareness video featuring actor Dia Mirza, encouraging citizens to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali. However, the video was subsequently taken down following objections from several political leaders. 
Later, the Bombay High Court has expressed displeasure over the remarks made by certain political leaders regarding a video featuring Bollywood actor Dia Mirza urging people not to burst firecrackers on public streets on Diwali. 
The High Court has directed the BMC to re-upload the video to its social media platforms. During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Dr Neela Gokhale expressed displeasure over the remarks made by certain political leaders.  The Court stated that it was troubled by such comments from these politicians, and further reminded them that India is a secular nation.