Justice Rohinton Nariman urges a nationwide ban on loudspeakers across all religions, stressing that noise pollution harms public health and equality must guide constitutional values.
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Thiruvananthapuram: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman has advocated for a nationwide ban on loudspeakers and bell-ringing used for religious purposes, warning that such practices directly infringe upon citizens’ right to health and peaceful living.
Delivering the KM Bashir Memorial Lecture at Thiruvananthapuram on September 1, Justice Nariman minced no words in highlighting how religious noise pollution affects everyday life:
“I find today every faith seems to get louder in its protestations and is making the Lord deaf. I find today that either a person is screaming in a microphone from a mosque or another is banging temple bells. All this must stop because this creates noise pollution. And if it creates noise pollution, it is covered by health primarily straight away.”
He urged that States across India act immediately and ban religious loudspeakers and bell-ringing without exception to ensure neutrality and fairness:
“Every State should at the earliest according to me first ban loudspeakers and ban this kind of thing this bell ringing etc… so that again you can’t say that you are favoring X or favoring Y. You stop it completely.”
Placing the issue in a constitutional framework, Justice Nariman reminded that the Preamble begins with ‘We the People of India’, a phrase that embraces every citizen equally, without distinction:
“We the people of India does not mean we the majority of the people of India or we the adult male population of India. It is we the people. We are therefore all the people of India. That is something that must never be forgotten.”
He underlined that secularism is central to the Constitution, which envisages three principles:
- No state religion.
- No discrimination by the State on religious grounds.
- Equal rights for individuals to practise their faith.
Citing Article 25, which guarantees freedom of conscience, Justice Nariman pointed out the five constitutional limits on religious freedom: public order, morality, health, regulation of secular activities, and social welfare/reform. He stressed that health concerns justify restrictions on noise pollution from religious practices.
Justice Nariman emphasised that fraternity is the glue holding together the dignity of individuals and the unity of the nation:
“Fraternity is the single pivot on which everything else works.”
He criticised distortions in history textbooks and warned that undermining harmony threatens national integrity. Referring to the national flag, he explained the symbolism of its colours:
“Every time you people see the national flag, never forget that fraternity is the first thing that stares you in the face. And remember the white portion is the portion which speaks of everybody’s harmony. And the chakra is as to how you achieve it. You achieve it by serving dharma. And you serve dharma by studying everybody else’s faith and not denigrating it.”
Justice Nariman also spoke about his recent book An Ode to Fraternity, which carries forewords by the Dalai Lama and Cardinal Oswald Gracias. He described how world religions ultimately converge on moral living and the pursuit of happiness.
Warning against the dangers of fanaticism, he observed:
“Fanatics neither understand their own faith nor respect others’ faiths.”
In his concluding remarks, Justice Nariman reminded citizens that constitutional values must outlast political shifts:
“Governments may come, governments may go. Constitutional values endure. Every time you see your national flag never forget to remind yourself of the cardinal virtue of treating every other citizen as your brother. Because in the ultimate analysis, the stakes are very high. The stake is nothing less than the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of this great country.”
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