Lyricist Javed Akhtar backed Sonu Nigam on Wednesday, calling out the use of loudspeakers installed at places of worship in residential areas. Akhtar tweeted that he totally agrees with everyone including Sonu Nigam who denounce the usage of loudspeakers at mosques, temples, gurudwaras, or any other place of worship.
This is to put on record that I totally agree with all those including Sonu Nigam who want that Loud speakers should not be used by the mosques and for that matter by any place of worship in residential areas .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 7, 2018
Javed Akhtar’s comment follows the recent death threat the singer allegedly received from certain fundamentalist groups. Last year in April, singer Sonu Nigam criticised the use of loudspeakers for the morning azaan at mosques in residential areas. The comment did not go down well and Sonu was trolled for his comments. Even then, Akhtar supported Sonu Nigam and in an interview to IANS said:
“As far as I think, no matter if it’s a Masjid, Mandir, Church or Gurudwara, whatever is the place, do your prayers, but it shouldn’t disturb anyone else.”
Akhtar’s latest tweet has once again divided the internet, with some terming his outburst as futile and some disagreeing with him:
Such a baloney of topic.Who cares about such banal trivialities when the nation is facing Critical issues of Unemployment & Rural Distress.Unki baatein karein janab.These are diversionary topics of Sanghis to pull wool in the eyes of Indians.
— Ajeet Singh (@ajeetsin) February 7, 2018
Being a Muslim I don’t have problem with loudspeakers or any religion activity .I respect all religions every religion has it’s own history everyone has a right to practice .i request all use something else to b in limelight leave religions aside
— Syed shuja andrabi (@Shujaandrabi2) February 7, 2018
Some sided with Akhtar:
Im not interested in the Mosque waking me up at 5.30am or the Temple waking me up at 4.30am. God does not need loudspeakers. No religion had loudspeakers as part of its history.
— (@Lolovivi_) February 7, 2018
What’s the need of loudspeaker for calling people to offer prayers? Those who are God fearing will go for prayer without loudspeaker, and those who doesn’t care will not attend prayer even if you put 100 loudspeaker.
— Taslim Shaikh (@taslimshaikh) February 7, 2018
Loudspeakers should be banned from all religious places
— Abhishek (@abhishek2526) February 7, 2018
I live in America and here we do not have any loud speaker for any religious or non religious reasons, trust me we still survive and follow our religion religiously!
— Shireen Gul (@GulShireen) February 8, 2018
And still others posed hard-hitting counter questions and totally valid relatable suggestions:
Why only places of worship …? Why not night weddings and political events…. can you please answer
— taher (@kaderjii) February 7, 2018
Why only religious places why not political party rallies and what about Bollywood films , singer also stage shows… Agr band hoga to sab…… Law is equal to all…….
— AFTAB BIN AKBAR (@zia_am_77) February 7, 2018
Not only places of worship but I think there should a blanket ban on loudspeakers and DJs in residential areas. Having lived close to a hotel for more than a decade I know how someone’s wedding can be a complete torture for someone else.
— Kanupriya Chaturvedi (@ckanupriya) February 8, 2018
Javed Akhtar is known to be vocal about social issues in an industry which chooses silence over controversy.
