While the Indian diaspora celebrates Diwali with full vigour across the globe, the festivities were not without controversy. From visuals coming in from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom showing Indians celebrating the festival with massive gatherings, the scene often changes to tons of waste left behind, and in other cases, damaged property.

Although Indian communities thrive in most of these countries, some Diwali celebrations this year resulted in less festive outcomes, including instances where the police had to be called in.

In cities including London, New York, and Dallas, viral social media clips captured scenes of police and fire officials deploying to control large crowds. The issue stemmed from people lighting fireworks late into the night, which caused disruptions on the streets.

Troll_canadaa, an Instagram account catering to Indians living in Canada, posted a video on Thursday, October 23, showing the aftermath of a Diwali celebration with a deserted parking lot covered in firecracker remnants on the ground in Etobicoke, Ontario.

Another major incident in Canada’s Edmonton shows a massive fire being extinguished by the fire department after fireworks hit a neighbouring house. The video shows the house owners devastated as the fire is put out. 

Meanwhile, the police department in Morrisville, North Carolina, posted on its community page on Tuesday, “Recently, illegal fireworks were set off at Church Street Park, damaging the cricket field and leaving behind a significant amount of litter. The incident jeopardises community safety and negatively impacts local sports programmes and park visitors.”

In New Jersey, social media clips showing police and fire officials stopping Diwali fireworks after 10 pm went viral after they were seen targeting illegal skyshots.

With such incidents spreading like wildfire online, Indians do end up with a reputation that can be misleading, because many disagree with how they are represented.

This behaviour, however, is not limited to festivals alone. In recent times, theatres were on the receiving end of Indians’ “unruly behaviour”. 

Some screenings of the Pawan Kalyan films They Call Him OG and Hari Hara Veera Mallu abroad were disrupted after fans threw confetti and created chaos inside theatres.

In other cases, loud and chaotic rallies are held by Indian political parties living abroad when their leaders visit countries to address expatriates.

Due to the image set by some Indian residents abroad, an increasing number of Indian students and travellers are reportedly dealing with visa rejections. This situation has led to some individuals being denied entry solely based on this collective perception.