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Mumbai: Gurudwara makes defeaning statement with silent bhajans

ART OF LISTENING: To avoid loudspeakers, Ulhasnagar trust distributed headphones to devotees

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Devotees at the satsang wearing headphones to hear the bhajans
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The Bombay High Court lavished praise on efforts taken by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) to reduce noise pollution, after the civic body got the Sikh community to distribute 10,000 headphones, so devotees can hear satsangs without the need for loudspeakers.

A division bench of the court, while hearing a contempt petition filed against commissioner Rajendra Nimbalkar, said "If there are 99 per cent officers who are not abiding by the rules, but when some officer does so, he should be appreciated."

The bench took into account Nimbalkar's reply which said that the devotees swayed to the satsangs wearing portable headsets and said it's a "revolution".

According to the petition, noise pollution rules were violated during the Amritvela Trust of Ulhasnagar during a 43-day bhajan-kirtan meet on Guru Nanak Jayanti. The petition claimed that illegal pandals were constructed inside the maidan, which were used for other purposes after the function. In 2017, the trust had distributed the headphones at the gurudwara's entrance, and everyone attending the satsang was to hand it back at the end of the session.

Environmentalists have welcomed the initiative, with Sumaira Abdulali, convenor of Awaaz Foundation, saying innovations like these are the need of the hour. She said it was especially heartwarming when the steps are taken by religious organisations. "We need more such initiatives during cultural events, and with the growing awareness on impact of noise pollution on health, we are sure that more and more communities will join hands and take up such innovations, which will be wonderful for the society at large," she said.

Meanwhile, the Amritvela trust, that brought out this initiative, has welcomed the court's observations. "We welcome the court's observations. The unique solution that Amritvela trust came out with under the guidance of our founder Rinkuji satisfies legal requirements and also avoids noise pollution. Other organisations and political parties also need to draw a leaf out of our experience and make amends," said Gurmukh Singh, spokesperson of the Amritvela Trust.

THEY SAID IT

  • The petitioner claimed noise pollution rules were violated in Ulhasnagar. 
     
  • The pandals were constructed inside the maidan, and were used for other purposes after the function ended.
     
  • However, the court called it a “revolution”. 
     
  • It said when officers abide by the rules, they need to be appreciated.
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