Shiban Khaibri
It is presumed that perhaps the word ‘noise’ would not carry that heft , poundage and intensity which in fact ‘shoor’ does, looking to the context in which not any message is sought to be conveyed but the feelings shared. At the outset, this noise is not pertaining to the one of a particular hue indulged in currently by some frightened politicians across the country in respect of their only avowed aim of anyhow seeing Modi Ji pinned down and defeated. What next and who could be the better choice, if not as competent as he is , the answer is “that will be decided later but first he is to be removed.” That may look politically hyperbolic and suiting such politicians who, involved in one or the other “problem,” may like to see things, post such election results, in a mess in order to grind their own axe and manage to keep skins safe but national interests and priorities cannot wait, absolutely not. The people need to fully understand that right now, lest it would be too late to do anything about it.
We have in our own state, currently a hyper phobia about 370 and 35 A in such a way as if the two being something with touches of divinity or being seraphic and irrevocably beatific to the extent of the ex- Chief Minister “suggesting” Hindustan to leave Kashmir in case these were “even touched”. The frequent phrase chosen by these leaders is …”if tinkered with “. Well , a bit of the language teaches us the meaning of tinkering when used as verb to mean attempt to repair or improve something . It is beyond comprehension that there should be any criticism, contesting , negating or threatening on most desirable acts like “repairing” or “improving ” something especially the ones which have become stale, old fossils, obsolete, retrograde and catabolic. And there is nothing of the sort, historically, legally and constitutionally, as is falsely propagated that “Ilhaq” was and shall remain “valid” only during the currency of 370 and 35A. The sooner daydreaming of such fashion was dispensed with and considered far from any reality , the better would it be.
There is no “Shoor” about scourge of terrorism in this state from such politicians excepting “talk to Pakistan”, no issue about radicalism, no eagerness to find solution to prevent death and destruction, no talk about unemployment, corruption in abundance, sanitation, increasing revenues and building better infrastructure, pending issue of quami sarmaya ka hissab do, how certain politicians grew richest and where from they amassed assets and other issues but only chanting the chorus of 370 and 35 A, followed by “talk to Pakistan” which indirectly means less of talking and more of “giving”. And now there is “emotional and intrinsic” support to Yasin Malik and Jamat-e-Islami . The political “slippage” is to this extent that , even another well-known Kashmiri leader congratulating JKLF Chief for “choosing sacrificing his life to bowing before New Delhi”. One is aghast seeing the chameleon(ian) properties of some Kashmir centric politicians . In fact, we are prone to see and experience such histrionic outbursts and theatricality since 1948 , more so since 1953 down to the moment.
“Ye Kare Te Kare Bub Kare ” or whatever the Bub or the fatherly leader decides about the (created) Kashmir tangle , that would be unquestionably acceptable to all without any ifs and buts or any queries whatsoever which used to be chanted by hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris on the roads of the valley was, at last responded to positively by the Bub in 1976. However, antagonistic rhetoric and antidote of what he decided sagaciously and after employing apt farsightedness in the interests of the state of Jammu and Kashmir , do come from his own family “stalwarts” now. And then brazenly religious card is played by them depending upon “Mauqa aur Mehal” and while doing so , Modi Ji , the RSS and the BJP are routinely and habitually labelled as “breaking and destroying” this nation and spreading communalism – looks intriguingly funny.
Reverting to the main topic of the write-up , a different type of ‘Shoor’ is sought to be discussed , the one which is silently but very effectively affecting our day to day life. It is the irritating , exasperating and at times, virtually maddening and galling noise pollution. The main source of this noise is from the traffic mess on roads. Not only shrieking pressure horns are used repeatedly during day , night, near hospitals, schools , offices etc but a new nuisance of generating of this aggravatingly troublesome noise is from the speeding motorbikes, the silencers of most of which are removed to create high decibel screeching and howling noise. Imagine when such silencer less bikes zoom past the lanes and small roads of residential colonies usually with high throttle, the reckless riders , usually comprising a bit of spoilt children or over loved darlings of parents do not have an idea of how the peace, silence and the equilibrium of poor unsuspecting households get shattered. Patients with hypertension, elevated sugar levels, stress and fatigue , cardio-vascular disorders, nervous problems, depression, ear and hearing disorders etc are during the brief but intense moments of torture, feeling to have been plunged into agonising punishments for no faults. From their bruised souls, only curses come out. Why should not the parents of such young drivers imbibe in their loved ones the basic etiquettes and elementary lessons of morality not to do any act which troubles some innocent one? Why is the traffic police not seizing such vehicles and cancelling their owners’ driving licences in case most of such defaulters are possessing them at all ? Why a strict advisory is not issued to all dealers, mechanic shops , garages etc by the Traffic and Transport Departments not to accede to any motorbike rider’s request to remove the exhaust silencers from motorbikes ?
The other problem is honking , unnecessarily honking, unrequired honking , repeatedly uselessly honking even when in a traffic jam. Such a scenario, such a habit and such a mind-set , perhaps, was an attempt of showcasing of one’s vehicle and an ‘announcement’ that he or she was in it or was its owner or perhaps, had no instalments in arrears with the financing Bank , in case of a hypothecation loan therefrom. The plight of not only of those who were following or leading such honking prone vehicles, in their own ones on the roads but the shopkeepers on both sides, the houses standing on both the sides of the roads and even those few pedestrians who still had not given up the habit to walk small and short distances were feeling troubled and tormented. This writer somewhere, in NCR area amusingly saw some troubled and tormented one having written on a small signage ” No unnecessary barking , sorry honking – please”. We have acute and perhaps beyond any resolution the problem of parking . In congested and busy areas despite having a vehicle , one was bound to hire an auto rickshaw to reach there just for ‘dropping’ and not waiting for return short journey.
Another source of very high decibel noise is during weddings especially till late night hours with highest pitched DJs so much so, that people living in a radius of two to three kilometres, get to know whose turn was it to disturb and torture them that night. It is wondered that while guests are seated, the host thinks it improper to play music at tolerable volumes to please the souls and soothe the ears rather than use hit and trial methods to attempt to temporarily deafen the invitees or a few carrying with them some disorder in one or the other form. Any social, cultural and religious function during nights should, on humanitarian grounds, not use loud speakers and amplifiers with deafening and high pitched volumes. Let calmness, composure, peace and tranquillity only rule our nights and never high decibel noise.
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