Keeping up with UP | From a communally charged UP, a message of peace

At the time when communal clashes are occurring across the country, UP, infamous for divisive politics, remained peaceful. Yogi’s diktats were clear: No communal disturbance.

Back in 2014, while covering the elections in Bahraich in central Uttar Pradesh (UP), I went to a Muslim professor’s house in a densely populated and diverse area. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had declared Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate. He had flown from Gujarat to Varanasi — the abode of Shiva — to contest his maiden election to the Lok Sabha, in a move that would be the beginning of a new era in Indian politics.

He promptly imposed restrictions on religious processions and loudspeakers which were raising communal temperatures. (File Photo)

It was early evening. Sitting in his drawing-room, I strained my ears to decipher what he said about the emerging poll scenario in the state.

Because of its geographical closeness to Ayodhya, and with about 35% of its population being Muslim, it had been grievously impacted by the demolition of the contentious Babri Mosque on December 6, 1992, tearing apart the fragile social fabric of the state.

The professor was articulate, but his voice was drowned by the blaring loudspeakers right across the road. And there were not one, but two loudspeakers — atop a mosque and the adjacent temple — broadcasting religious orations. Perhaps no one understood the meaning or message of these sermons as they competed in decibels.

Asked how they lived in such a noisy area, many Hindus and Muslims quipped, “We are actually suffering from a hearing problem, but it’s now a matter of our survival.”

Blaring loudspeakers are not a new tool used by the Hindus and Muslims to display their assertiveness. And these seem more deliberate and forceful in communally tense districts like Bahraich.

For years, Muslims have been using loudspeakers for azaan (call to prayer), but their volume has been increasing by the day, unchecked by any authority or religious leader. Hindus, who initially used loudspeakers for special religious occasions such as Devi Jagran and Akhand Path, started using them for daily aarti (offering) in temples.

Today, it's a story of every locality. 

Today's communal clashes

At the time when disturbing news of communal clashes across the country — from BJP and non-BJP states — UP, infamous for divisive politics, remained peaceful, mercifully. Chief minister Yogi Aditynath’s diktats were clear: No communal disturbance.

He promptly imposed restrictions on religious processions and loudspeakers which were raising communal temperatures.

The order came amid a demand in Aligarh to install loudspeakers at Hanuman temples on 21 road crossings. The permission was denied to firebrand Hindu leaders. Soon thereafter, the BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Aligarh, Mukta Raja, in a provocative action, sought details from the district administration about the number of mosques in the district and their compliance with the Supreme Court order on loudspeakers.

The chief minister’s directives were clear on two fronts. One, no new processions will be allowed — Hanuman Jayanti had created tensions in Delhi and Mumbai. Even for processions that have been organised for years, permission would be required along with a mandatory affidavit pledging the maintenance of peace and harmony.

The state government also ordered that loudspeakers should not disturb others in the vicinity and their volume should not be heard outside the premises.

Loudspeakers have been triggering communal tension over the years and across the state, with BJP leaders themselves demanding a uniform policy for both the communities without any bias while granting permission.

In 2004, when the state was besieged by scuffles and brawls over loudspeakers, some Muslim leaders had approached Darul Ifta (Department of Issuing Rulings-Fatwa) of Nadwatul-Darul Uloom for a fatwa (edict and not diktat) on the two contentious issues of the “use of loudspeakers” and on “encroaching public spaces for offering prayers.”

The fatwa had said, “If a place to offer the Namaz-e-Janaza is available elsewhere in the vicinity, prayer should be offered at that place. In case of dire need and when there is no other way out, the namaaz may be offered on the road, but to cause inconvenience by blocking the thoroughfare is anyhow a wrongful act.”

In another ruling, the premier institute had also advised the community to check the use of loudspeakers as non-Muslims and sick persons should be given due consideration. If required, its use may be done for a brief period only, according to the fatwa.

Nadwa had issued the fatwa on a query by the late Col (Retd) Mohsin Shamsi, a Lucknowite, who had been spearheading a movement to check the rampant use of roads and loudspeakers for namaaz.

Col Shamsi, who was also associated with the Nadwa, quoted Justice Maulana Mohammad Taqi Usmani, Chief Justice of Sharia high court in Pakistan. Usmani, in his collection of reformatory lectures titled Isahi Khutbut published by a premier Islamic centre of India, Deoband, in UP, stated, “If your recitation disturbs the sleep and peacefulness of any person, then the act is wrong and unlawful. Recitation of Quran on loudspeakers at a time when someone wants to sleep or take rest or is sick is not proper.”

But then the community had raised the counter-question: “When the peace of others is not disturbed by kathas, kirtans, Akhand Ramayan, when traffic is not obstructed by rallies or VVIP visits, how can their namaaz that takes a few minutes actually cause public inconvenience?”

By then, the Hindus had also started using loudspeakers in their temples.

Religious leaders, come forward

Now, it’s time for the religious leaders of both communities to come forward while the government will have to ensure fair disposal of the applications that it will receive.

A day after the chief minister issued the guidelines, the mahants of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura decided to shut down their loudspeakers, installed at Bhagwat Bhavan to broadcast Manglacharan aarti from 5-6 am. “For us, any direction issued by chief minister Yogi Adityanath is a sant vachan (command of a saint) and, thus, we are bound to follow these directions. He has suggested that loudspeakers should not be used at cost of inconvenience to others,” stated Kapila Sharma, the secretary for Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust at Mathura.

The Gorakhnath temple has also lowered the volume of the loudspeakers and so have the mosques in Lucknow. The state administration has organised meetings with religious leaders before using force, as the next step would be notices and the forcible removal of loudspeakers.

Around 17 years ago, the Supreme Court issued orders on these issues. But the successive governments, immersed in the politics of the land, did not implement the order thoroughly, notching up communal tensions and volatility in the region.

In July 2005, the Supreme Court observed that no one will use a loudspeaker, beat a drum or tom-tom or blow a trumpet or beat or sound any instrument or use any sound amplifier at night (between 10 pm and 6 am) except in public emergencies.

The then Chief Justice of India, RC Lahoti, and Justice Ashok Bhan observed that the law-enforcing agencies must be equipped with necessary instruments and facilities, of which sound level meters conforming to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) code are a bare necessity.

The apex court further observed that loudspeakers and amplifiers or other equipment and gadgets which produce loud sounds, once detected as violating the law, should be liable to be seized and confiscated by making provision in the law.

Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000

To curb the growing problem of noise pollution, the Union government has enacted the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, according to which a loudspeaker or a public address system should not be used except after obtaining written permission from the authority and the same shall not be used at night between 10 pm and 6 am.

The state has woken up to its responsibilities. It’s time religious leaders of all faiths realise their duties. Let peace return.

From her perch in Lucknow, HT’s resident editor Sunita Aron highlights important issues related to Uttar Pradesh

The views expressed are personal