Uttar Pradesh’s religious leaders gave their thumbs up to chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive for limiting the volume of loudspeakers at religious places in order to avoid inconvenience to those residing nearby.
Reacting to the chief minister’s appeal, some districts, including Mathura and Kanpur, saw voluntary steps to either let loudspeakers remain silent or remove them from temples.
Besides, in several districts, senior clerics have come forward and asked the mosque committees to reduce the volume of loudspeakers in compliance with the CM’s directive.
Clerics in Lucknow were perhaps the first to take the initiative after Mathura, where loudspeakers atop Bhagwat Bhavan at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi, remained silent on Wednesday.
The chief minister had ordered that the sound of the loudspeaker should not come out of the premises and microphones should not be installed at new places.
“We welcome CM’s order and we believe that it is a general order. We have directed all the mosques here to limit the sound of the loudspeakers and to ensure that it may not come out of the premises,” said Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam Eidgah in Lucknow.
The Sunni cleric said similar directives have been issued to all the Sunni mosques in the state capital. The city has 700 Sunni mosques and around 40 Shia mosques.
{{/usCountry}}The Sunni cleric said similar directives have been issued to all the Sunni mosques in the state capital. The city has 700 Sunni mosques and around 40 Shia mosques.
{{/usCountry}}Shia clerics, too, supported the order and issued directives to limit the sound of loudspeakers at mosques.
“We welcome the CM’s stand on the use of loudspeakers at religious places. We have directed the mosques to limit it as per the Supreme Court’s guidelines,” said Maulana Yasoob Abbbas, a Shia cleric and general secretary of the All India Shia Muslim Personal Law Board (AISMB).
The temples in the state capital, too, saw a similar exercise where the volume of the loudspeakers has been reduced.
Back in Mathura, Kapil Sharma, secretary of the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, said, “We are bound to follow these directions, issued by chief minister who has suggested that loudspeakers should not cause inconvenience to others.”
“Manglacharan aarti is held from 5am to 6am every day at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi. It used to be broadcast on loudspeakers installed at Bhagwat Bhavan on the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi premises. The committee decided to enforce directions given by the chief minister recently wherein he has suggested that the sound emanating from loudspeakers should not go out of the premises,” said Sharma.
“The directions issued by CM were implemented on Wednesday morning. Manglacharan aarti was held as per tradition in Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi but it was not broadcast on the loudspeaker,” the Trust secretary said.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had on Monday stated that no religious procession in state should be undertaken without prior permission and that loudspeakers should not cause inconvenience to others.
POLICE IN TOUCH WITH PLACES OF WORSHIP
Over 40 temples, mosques and gurudwaras have been approached and asked to ensure the proper use of loud speakers, said Lucknow commissioner of police (CP) DK Thakur on Wednesday.
He said the state government directive on loudspeakers has been conveyed properly to the management and organising committees of different places of worship. The local police stations have been asked to ensure strict compliance.
He said all police station in-charges, additional commissioners of police, additional deputy commissioners of police and deputy commissioners of police have already been asked to hold meetings with religious leaders and clerics to convey the guidelines properly.
He said they have been asked to ensure strict compliance with guidelines and everybody has agreed unanimously to it.
The police commissioner said the police would issue notice or take legal action if any violation of the guideline is reported.
He said it should be ensured that the sound of the loudspeakers should be limited within the premises and should not disturb others in the locality.
UP police additional director general, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said a circular has been issued to all district police chiefs for compliance with the chief minister’s order. He also said the police officials have been directed to conduct meetings with people associated with different organising committees to ensure 100% compliance with the directives.
“Most of the districts’ police and the commissionerate police are working on it in different manner by holding meetings,” he added.
GORAKHNATH TEMPLE LOWERS VOLUME
The Gorakhnath Temple trust has lowered the volume of loudspeakers installed in the temple premises. The loudspeakers have been turned away from the roads, localities and public places located near the temple. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest (mahant) of the Gorakhnath Temple Trust.
“The decision to lower the volume of the loudspeaker and turn its face away has been taken after chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s direction,” said Dwarka Tiwari, secretary of the Gorakhnath temple trust.
He said that the temple did not wish to disturb the students preparing for the competitive, college and school exams.
The temple premises is spread over a 54-acre area. A large number of devotees visit the temple daily. A temporary market is located in the temple premises. During his visit to Gorakhpur, chief minister Yogi Adityanath stays in the mutt located in the temple premises.
The camp office of the CM is also located in the temple where he meets people.
Gorakhpur district magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand said the district administration has launched a survey across the district to identify the loudspeakers installed at religious spots against the norms set by the state government.
The loudspeakers functioning at high volume are also being identified. Once the administration and police personnel complete the drive, the district administration will issue notices to the management of the religious place to follow the state government order. Action will be taken against those who violates the order, he said.
The administration and police officers have been directed to ensure that no procession was taken out without permission of the district administration. Before giving permission for procession, an affidavit will be taken from the organisers regarding maintenance of peace and harmony, he said.
HINDUS, MUSLIMS IN AYODHYA WELCOME MOVE
Prominent saints in Ayodhya have extended their support to the state government’s initiative to keep a check on loudspeakers.
Acharya Satyendra Das, head priest of the makeshift temple at Ram Janmabhoomi, said: “There is nothing wrong in the chief minister’s appeal to keep a check on loudspeakers. The sound must remain within the temple premises.”
“We all must follow orders of the state government,” added Das.
Prashant Kumar, resident magistrate of Ayodhya dham (old Ayodhya town) said: “There is no controversy related with loudspeakers in Ayodhya.”
Raju Das, priest of Hanuman Garhi temple, said, “People of all religions must make sure that loudspeakers do not become a nuisance. The loudspeaker’s decibel level must be within approved limits so that it does not create a problem for those living in the vicinity of that particular religious place.”
“If there is any order related with loudspeakers then it will be followed by all temples, including Hanuman Garhi,” said Das.
In Hanuman Garhi temple, during aarti, gongs are used and their sound is played through loudspeakers.
The Muslim community in Ayodhya has extended its support to the chief minister’s initiative to keep a check on loudspeakers.
Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi –Babri Masjid title suit dispute which has been resolved by the Supreme Court, said loudspeakers must not be misused by any religion.
Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, successor designate of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chairman of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshtera Trust, has assured that all directives of the chief minister related with loudspeakers will be followed in Ayodhya by all temples.
PRAYAGRAJ ADMN ASKS RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO ADHERE TO NORMS
In Prayagraj, the district administration has made permission mandatory for the religious processions. The Prayagraj district administration led by district magistrate Sanjay Khatri held a meeting with Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Muslim religious leaders on Tuesday in the context of the loudspeaker guidelines issued by the CM.
The district magistrate urged them to adhere to guidelines at their respective religious places.
“The religious leaders have been asked to adhere to the set norms for use of loudspeakers and ensure that their use does not cause noise pollution or inconvenience to others. They have also been asked to take prior permission before taking out any religious process as per the set guidelines. All religious leaders have unanimously promised to adhere to the directions,” said Prayagraj’s ADM (City) Madan Kumar, confirming the move.
He said that the religious leaders have also been asked to inform the district administration in case of change in volume of loudspeakers or increase in their counts at any particular religious place.
The Prayagraj district administration has, however, so far not issued any notices to any religious centre on the issue or removed any loudspeaker for failing to adhere to the norms.
Religious leaders of Sangam city in general seem to welcome the UP CM’s directives and the district administration’s efforts to implement the orders.
“Use of loudspeakers at high decibels is wrong and unnecessary. Efforts to ensure that the guidelines set for their use are implemented strictly and uniformly on all is a welcome move. We welcome the steps and will adhere to the set norms,” said Maulana Mohsin Taqvi, Imame Jumma of Shia Jama Masjid, Prayagraj
Shridharanand Brahmchari, in-charge of the Mankameshwar temple located near Saraswati Ghat in Prayagraj, also termed the step as “timely and necessary”.
“Certain communities often use loudspeakers at very high volumes which cause disturbance to general population and this should be avoided. Similarly, I believe that prior permission for taking out religious processions would also help in avoiding traffic disruptions or disturbances,” he said.
ORDER CONVEYED TO RELIGIOUS HEADS IN MEERUT
The district administration and police officials conveyed the chief minister’s orders to religious heads for maintaining peace and tranquility during forthcoming festivals. The meeting was presided over by Meerut SSP Prabhakar Choudhary and additional district magistrate (city) Diwakar Singh, which was attended by representatives of gurudwaras, churches, temples and the Shahar Qazi.
Nayab Shahar Qazi Zainur Rasheedin who attended the meeting, said officials apprised the gathering about CM’s order.
The Nayab Qazi said officials also conveyed that surprise checks would be done to ensure strict compliance with the orders and action would be initiated against those found violating them.
The Nayab Shahar claimed that Shahar Qazi Zainus Sakeedin has already directed people in mosques to keep the volume of loudspeakers at a minimum so that it does not disturb others. “Meerut has over 300 mosques and they are following it,” said Nayab Qazi.
Leading temples in the city have also started compliance with orders.
The Rajrajeshwari temple in the Samrat Palace Colony is one of them. Its priest Balbrahmchari Radhikanand said the temple earlier used loudspeakers for aarti and bhajans.
“Earlier, the sound could be heard up to 100 to 150 meters, but no one objected,” said the priest. He said now the volume was kept low so that it could be heard only within the temple premises.
Satish Singhal, secretary of the historic Kali Paltan temple in Meerut’s Cantonment, said the temple used loudspeakers only during festivals because many schools were situated nearby.
He further said the management will ensure the volume is kept low so that it can be heard only within temple premises. There is no plan to remove loudspeakers from the temple, he clarified.
LOUDSPEAKERS REMOVED FROM KANPUR TEMPLES VOLUNTARILY
The Mandir-Mutt coordination committee in Kanpur has said it has voluntarily taken off loudspeakers from temples.
“We also expect our Muslim, Sikh and Christian brothers to reciprocate,” said Balyogi Arun Puri Maharaj, convener of the committee.
The coordination committee has a meeting lined up this week to take a final call.
“All of us will meet and decide on this issue. The decision of chief minister Yogi Adityanath is a welcome step and we all support him wholeheartedly,” he said.
The Kanpur police were working on notices that they plan to send out for cutting down the decibel level.
“We will appreciate it if community leaders reach a mutually agreed settlement on this issue. On the other hand, we are prepared to enforce the government’s decision in letter and spirit,” said a senior police officer who did not wish to be named.
Shahr Qazi Saqib Adeeb Misbahi said all the mosques in Kanpur were adhering to Supreme Court decision on use of loudspeakers passed in 2005. The decibel level has been in accordance with the permissible limits, If the government brings in further change in policy, it would be duly considered, he said.
OFFICIALS MEET RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN KASHI
In Varanasi, senior officials held a meeting with religious leaders and peace committee members at Chowk police station here regarding the upcoming festivals, said a senior police officer.
The peace committee members and religious leaders were apprised about the order on loudspeakers and asked to comply with it.
Deputy commissioner of police Ramsevak Gautam and additional commissioner of police (Dashashwamedh) Awadhesh Pandey were present in the meeting chaired by additional commissioner of police (Law and order) Anil Singh.
Baba Balakdas, Mahant of Patalapuri Matt, said that the followers of every religion must comply with the order on loudspeakers.