LUCKNOW: While the Uttar Pradesh government has issued directives to all the 1,565 police stations across the state to ensure removal of illegal public address systems from religious places, in Jhansi, an exemplary show of solidarity and expression of communal harmony came to the fore when the biggest temple and mosque took down the loudspeakers from their respective premises.
So far, 125 loudspeakers have been removed across UP and the sound of around 17000 amplifiers has been reduced in compliance with the state government order in connection with the use of loudspeakers at places of worship.
In Jhansi, the loudspeakers from the Ram Janki temple, one of the biggest and revered temples in the region, and that of the Sunni Jama Masjid, were brought down after the head priest of the temple and imam of the mosque met and decided to take the sound amplifier down in compliance with the GO.
Both the temple and the mosque are located just a few metres from each other at Gandhi Chowk locality. So far, the morning and evening Aarti used to be relayed from the temple and so was the five-time Azaan from the mosque. According to temple priest Shanti Mohan Dass and Hafiz Taj Alam of Sunni Jama Masjid, the decision was taken to send out a strong message of love, camaraderie and harmony among people. “The morning and evening aarti is going on as usual and bhajans are also being sung but without loudspeakers,” said the priest.
“We have small speakers inside the mosque and ensure that the sound of Azaan doesn’t go outside the premises as we can not allow a loudspeaker to spoil the brotherhood of ages,” said the imam.
Recently, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to ensure that the sound of public address systems should not go out of the premises where they were installed and to take affidavits from the organisers of events for ensuring peace and harmony. Police authorities have started sensitising the stakeholders. According to additional chief secretary (home), Awanish Awasthi, the decision to remove illegal loudspeakers in the state has been taken to comply with High Court’s order.
“We have directed all the SHOs to start a conversation with the religious heads and amicably get the loudspeakers being used with the unspecified decibel limits removed immediately and if they are not removed by April 30 then action will be taken against them,” said ACS.
Additional director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar said that as many as 125 loudspeakers were removed in the state so far while the sound of 17,000 sound amplifiers installed in places of worship, including both mosques and temples, was reduced as per decibel limits specified by the court.