00:00Okay, so should we be stopping or should governments be banning the use of DJs and loud music during Ganesh
00:08Utsav or is that part of a public celebration?
00:11Joining me now is the person who's triggered that massive debate in Maharashtra, Vidyanand Bapat is a resident of Pune.
00:18He's someone who's been taking a campaign on this and was even physically attacked for taking on that campaign last
00:24week.
00:24Good to have you, Mr. Bapat, on the show. You've been campaigning against the use of DJs, loudspeakers, even the
00:31Dhol Tashas during Ganesh Utsav.
00:34And there will be those who will say festivals are meant to be public celebrations.
00:38You cannot now put these kind of restrictions on the way festivals are celebrated.
00:46No, this argument seems ridiculous because in today's times, all these public festivals have become a cause of the public
00:54nuisance.
00:54And there is no tangible benefit which is seen by celebrating festivals at places, especially streets.
01:04So if they want to celebrate this on the ground, on soundproofed auditoriums, then that's okay.
01:13But if they are about to celebrate it on the streets, then it will become only the cause of the
01:18news for the evidence of the public exit.
01:24But already, Mr. Bapat, the government has said that there will be restrictions on the use of DJs, for example.
01:32But the Dhol Tasha, there are some traditional ways in which you celebrate, particularly on the big days of immersion.
01:38The first big day will be tomorrow. On those days, the Dhol is part of the celebration.
01:43So some amount of noise, according to, there will be those who say some amount of noise is part of
01:51Ganesh Oksa.
01:54Yes, traditionally, it might be the case that playing of a tradition, such as Dhol and Tasha's, might be part
02:03of any festival celebration.
02:05But in today's times, our style has changed the lot.
02:08We work 24 by 7 because we work for U.S., U.K. and Australia-based clients.
02:13And since last few years, we are working from, so the demarked line with resident industrial and commercial areas have
02:22been blurred.
02:23So it causes a lot of nuisance to all IT and ITA sector employees working from, and they are working
02:3124 by 7.
02:32So even if it is a tradition, it should now be discontinued, just like discontinued the Sati tradition, then child
02:39rights tradition, and we have traditions which were violating the rights of citizens to live, to live, to live, and
02:47to serve.
02:52No, no, but you see, if the principle is one person's celebration is becoming another person's nuisance, where do you
03:00draw the lines, and who will draw the lines?
03:02I mean, the fact is, forget about Ganesh Oksa, we have weddings that are celebrated loudly, there's so much of
03:07urban noise around us in almost every festival.
03:10Who is going to draw the line?
03:12Who is going to say, this celebration which you are doing has crossed a limit, it is becoming a nuisance?
03:16Who should, who should decide that?
03:20There is an objective criteria, we can say, any artificial sound amplifying equipment.
03:26So as long as there is no use of artificial sound amplifying equipment, whether it's electronic or one being operated
03:34manually, such as Doha and Tasha, it can be called a peaceful celebration,
03:39but if it is use of simplifying equipment, manual or electronic, then we can call it a celebration.
03:48No, no, but who will decide?
03:49No, no, but Mr. Bapad, who will decide?
03:53No, no, Mr. Bapad, who will decide it?
03:55Who decides?
03:56Does the government, does the police decide?
03:58Does a society, if you are a cooperative society, do the members decide?
04:02Who decides?
04:03In a public celebration like Ganesh Oksa, who should decide that this celebration which is taking place is now a
04:10nuisance?
04:13We all can agree on this objective definition.
04:16As long as there is no use of any artificial sound amplifying equipment, it can be called as peaceful celebration.
04:22And if any such equipment is being used, it can be called noisy.
04:26So that's an objective definition.
04:28We all agree on it.
04:33But, you know, Mr. Bapad, as you've seen, what you've come out with and the campaign you've started has also
04:38triggered opposition to the point where you were physically attacked last week while you were speaking to the media.
04:45Now, does it mean that the moment you start questioning cultural, religious traditions, that you find yourself in a very
04:55dangerous space?
04:56There will be those who will say, who is Mr. Bapad to, in a way, decide how Ganesh Oksa is
05:03to be celebrated?
05:03This has been going on from Lokmanya Tilak's times.
05:06And because it's a Hindu, there will even be those, Hindutva Vadis, who will say, because it's a Hindu festival,
05:11that's why Mr. Bapad is getting away by saying all this.
05:15Would you dare say it about any other community?
05:20Yes, we are openly saying so about all festivals of all religions and not just religious festivals.
05:25But any pretext under which a few people used to make noise, pollution and traffic construction.
05:31So, this objection is not tenable.
05:35If you are talking about all religions, then not all pics.
05:39And the specific tradition to our Ganesh festival or a festival is because almost 80% of the population in
05:47India is the one which is defined or certified by law.
05:50So, that's the only reason.
05:53And that do not have any specific result of our Ganesh Hindu festival.
06:02Okay, I'm going to leave it there, Mr. Bapad.
06:05Good to hear you.
06:06As I said, you're giving one perspective to it.
06:09It is a contentious issue, but it's an issue worth debating.
06:12I mean, surely, one has to be very conscious during public celebrations to realize that one person's celebration could well
06:20become someone else's nuisance.
06:22Achieving that kind of balance in many ways is one way to ensure everyone enjoys Ganesh Hotsam.
06:29Appreciate you joining us there, Mr. Bapad.
06:33Yes, thanks, Gaurat.
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