Why Sonu Nigam’s ‘Azaan’ Tweet Created So Much Noise on the Net...

Legally speaking, you are right, Sonu Nigam.

Sonu Nigam was woken up by azaan and he wasn’t too happy about it. (Photo Courtesy: YouTube screengrab)

The early morning ‘Azaan’ definitely woke Sonu Nigam up on the wrong side of the bed on Monday. The singer whined about ‘forced religiousness’ and asked what he called ‘gundagardi’, to end.

Sonu’s tweet woke up quite a few Twitterati, giving them enough of an adrenaline rush to respond to his ‘Azaan’ rant.

Sonu’s four tweets also gave me enough fodder to write this story.

Legally speaking, you are right Sonu. Just like my padosi Brigadier Thapar, Indian Army (Retd), who complains to our RWA President every time they organise their ultra-noisy all-nighter ‘Mata Ka Jagrata’, you too have the right to complain.

And do you know? As per the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, under section 5, there is a restriction on the use of loudspeakers/public address system. It clearly states:

(1) A loudspeaker or a public address system shall not be used except after obtaining written permission from the authority.

(2) A loudspeaker or a public address system shall not be used at night (between 10pm to 6am) except in closed premises for communication within, e.g. auditoria, conference rooms, community halls and banquet halls.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (2), the State Government may, subject to such terms and conditions as are necessary to reduce noise pollution, permit use of loud speakers or public address systems during night hours (between 10pm to 12 midnight) on or during any cultural or religious festive occasion of a limited duration not exceeding 15 days in all during a calendar year. 

So until and unless the mosque has obtained written ‘sarkari’ permission, it cannot play azaan on loudspeaker and disturb your beauty sleep.

In fact, there have been cases in the past. A church in South India was taken to court for using a loudspeaker during mass. There were two colourfully named parties to the case - Church of God (Full Gospel) in India vs KKR Majestic Colony Welfare Association and Others, 1999. The Supreme Court clearly observed:

“Undisputedly, no religion prescribes that prayers should be performed by disturbing the peace of others, nor does it preach that they should be through voice-amplifiers or beating of drums.”

Whaddya know Sonu, the Supreme Court’s verdict is applicable across all religions (temple, gurdwaras, mosques, churches).

Let’s not stray too far from home. A Navi Mumbai resident had filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court in 2015 to raise the use of illegal loudspeakers in mosques. The court ordered that all illegal loudspeakers be removed.

Yet Sonu, here’s why I have a problem with your tweets.

Sonu, have you changed houses or moved to a new locality? ’Cuz that explains why you seem to have heard the azaan for the first time. Clearly it didn’t happen to you before Monday. Something changed and if nothing then, why now?

You also supported your tweet with a great analogy:

If we go by the same analogy then I guess crackers weren’t invented at the time of Ramayan then why are we using crackers during Diwali and causing more noise pollution. #JustSaying.

And pleeez, don’t think I’m calling you a hypocrite. You’re not. Well, at least your tweet is very secular in nature.

And Sonu, didn’t you accompany your father during jagaratas and sing the night away? Do you think it might have disturbed someone else’s sleep?

Anyhoo, keeping your strong moral urge to end this gundagardi in mind, we do hope to see you tweet more often during Ganesh Chathurti, big fat Indian weddings, jagaratas, durga pujo and so on...