Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said Mr. Bapat had received public support for his demand to ban DJs during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Mumbai: Calls for a statewide ban on the use of DJs in Maharashtra have intensified following an attack on Pune-based environmental activist Vidyanand Bapat, who has been campaigning against excessive noise pollution in the city. The incident has triggered a political debate over the use of high-volume DJ systems during public festivals, with Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday demanding a complete ban, citing their adverse impact on public health.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said Mr. Bapat had received public support for his demand to ban DJs during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. He urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take a decision on the issue rather than call for a consensus through public dialogue.
Mr. Fadnavis had on Friday advocated a ban on DJs and urged people to celebrate festivals in a traditional manner. He had also called for a consensus through dialogue and discussion.
Mr. Bapat has been campaigning against the noise generated by high-decibel DJs during Ganesh festival processions and has been demanding a “high-decibel DJ-free Ganesh festival”. A resident of Pune’s Narayan Peth area, he has recently become a prominent voice in the debate over the use of DJs and loud music during Ganeshotsav celebrations.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s emphasis on “public dialogue”, Mr. Raut said Mr. Fadnavis appeared to believe that the issue of noise pollution could be turned into a broader public movement. He questioned why extensive consultations were necessary when the government could take a decision on the use of DJs within a day.
According to Mr. Raut, the noise generated by DJs at public celebrations is often so intense that it causes vibrations and severe disturbance to residents.
He also questioned why different cities appeared to have different approaches to the use of DJs and loud music.
Mr. Raut pointed to restrictions imposed by the police on DJs in Nagpur and said action was also being taken against excessive noise in Mumbai. He questioned why Pune and other parts of Maharashtra should be governed by different rules.
“The government should decide whether DJs are allowed or not. The Cabinet should take a decision and implement it across the State,” Mr. Raut said.
He also questioned the government’s approach to public consultation in other matters. Referring to the State government’s decision to give autorickshaw drivers an additional year to learn Marathi, he asked why the government had not held consultations with Marathi organisations and activists working for the language.
“Why did you (Mr. Fadnavis) not hold a public consultation with Marathi organisations and the activists (who are working for the Marathi language)?” he asked.
Mr. Raut distinguished between Maharashtra’s traditional festival music and the use of high-powered DJ systems. Instruments such as taal, chiplya, lezim and dhol-tasha, he said, are part of the State’s cultural traditions and there was no opposition to such forms of celebration. The concern, he stressed, was the excessive volume generated by modern DJ systems and the resulting noise pollution.
Referring to Navratri celebrations, Mr. Raut said loud music continued in some areas until the early hours of the morning. Many residents, he claimed, were reluctant to object because they feared that opposition to excessive noise could be portrayed as opposition to religion.
Mr. Raut also strongly defended Mr. Bapat following the attack and criticised those who had allegedly labelled him a “Dimagi Naxalawadi” (intellectual Naxalite) for raising the issue of noise pollution.
He said citizens should not be attacked or vilified for raising concerns about pollution and public health, adding that Pune had historically been associated with social reform movements.
Mr. Raut said the campaign against noise pollution should not be seen as belonging to any particular political party.
Asked whether the Shiv Sena (UBT) was supporting the anti-DJ protests in Pune, Mr. Raut said the issue should not be reduced to party politics. He described the campaign against excessive noise pollution and the use of DJs as a “people’s movement”.
