Use of loudspeakers in mosques disturbs students: Eshwarappa

Eshwarappa added that it would be good if Muslim community leaders thought about it and used speakers within the mosques in a way it doesn’t disturb others.

Senior Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa on Monday said that a solution should be found to address the concerns over the use of loudspeakers in mosques in the state.

The minister of rural development and panchayat raj said that the Muslim community should be taken into confidence, keeping the interests of students and medical patients in mind.

He added that it would be good if Muslim community leaders thought about it and used speakers within the mosques in a way it doesn’t disturb others.

The minister’s statement comes after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray demanded that loudspeakers of mosques be shut down. “If this is not stopped, there will be speakers outside mosques playing Hanuman Chalisa at higher volume,” he had said in Mumbai.

Responding to the statement, Eshwarappa said that there is no need for competition since it may lead to conflict between the communities. He asked Muslim leaders to see that speakers are limited to their places of worship and don’t disturb people living in surrounding areas.

“The attempts by Raj Thackeray or Sri Rama Sene against the use of loudspeakers at mosques have to be naturally done by taking the Muslim community into confidence. There have been complaints about a long time that it disturbs students and patients during morning and evening hours,” Eshwarappa said.

The Muslim community has for long been following the tradition of using loudspeakers to call for prayer, but it is disturbing students, including their children and patients, the minister said.

“This is not a competition for us to play Hanuman Chalisa loudly on speakers to counter them. I have no objections to you (Muslims) offering prayer but because of your using loudspeakers, if prayers are offered at temples and churches also in a similar way, it will lead to conflict between communities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Ram Sena convener Pramod Muthalik said the Hindu outfits have been demanding that the loudspeakers on mosques should be banned and the Supreme Court’s order on noise pollution implemented.

“The order also says that loudspeakers should not be used in the silent zones such as schools and hospitals but that order is being violated by the mosque management. We will play Bhajan every morning if the loudspeakers from mosques are not removed,” Muthalik warned.

He demanded that the government has to instruct the mosque management not to use loudspeakers and that the Supreme Court prohibited the use of loudspeakers from 10 pm to 6 am every day.

On March 26, Chikkamagaluru Municipal Council had decided to tighten the screws on the unauthorised loudspeakers installed at religious places in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka. The Chikkamagaluru City municipal council president Varasiddhi Venugopal said that the notice has been issued to churches, mosques and temples to share documents of permission, if taken, to install the loudspeakers.

“It will be applicable for all the wards. We have informed churches, mosques and temples to submit the documents. We will talk to them. We will verify the document. If found unauthorized, it will be removed,” said Venugopal.

He further added that the said decision has been taken to curb noise pollution. “Complaints of noise pollution have been received from senior citizens, patients and people of different sections of society. Loudspeakers have been installed without the permission of Municipal Council and Police Department,” he said.

The municipal council president no action will be taken against the loudspeakers installed after taking due permission.

DON’T WE HAVE ANY REACTION FROM MUSLIM COMMUNITY?