So when others are busy shopping, painting their houses and bursting crackers, about 6,000 affected families, with their fates sealed, have to remain satisfied by watching others enjoy.

For instance, Aplesh, a class seven student, is the son of an employee of Petrofils which is closed for last more than a year. When asked how he was planning to celebrate Diwali, he said ``I know the company is closed and have hence not insisted on crackers.''

Suresh Mane, a 46-year-old employee of Gokak -- which closed early this year -- has no option but to keep his Diwali celebrations a low-key affair. As his new job as a security guard hardly fetches him anything, his wife has also started earning. ``I have just married off my daughter. So how can I afford to purchase anything during Diwali,'' he questioned.

But not all are as `fortunate' as Mane to find a job. And even if they are, delayed payments have surely hit them hard. ``Will you get us our dues from the company,'' asks Shashikala, wife of Ashok Kesarkar, who worked in Gokak.

For Atul Jhanje of APS Star and his family, it is the same story. Even Jayantibhai Solanki, who was sacked for fighting for workers' rights, said he had to lie to his son that he would get crackers for him.

If Solanki had to lie, Ghanshyam Soni, a former employee of Satyadev Chemicals, had to borrow Rs 500 from his friend. ``This time we will celebrate Diwali by getting our children new footwear,'' he says.

All the affected workers said that they could not spend money out of the provident fund as they had to bank on it for exigencies.

B J Vasava of Petrofils said that half of his August's salary which he received today had been spent in settling old dues, while Dilip Shitole said he would only purchase the bare minimum requirements.

Suresh Patel, a cloth merchant, vouches for their woes. Operating from Petrofils Nagar, he says,``As compared to last two years Diwali, my business had dipped by 90 per cent.''