Introduction
The most common topic of debate across the country is about religion and the usage of loudspeakers in religious space. This debate again grabs the attention of the people when the Former Supreme Court Judge “Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman” recently called for a nationwide ban on speakers across all religions. Stressing on the urgency to ban the loudspeaker for the good of the public and protecting the public health, peace and secular harmony. His remarks bring the very important point that there should be a balance between religious freedom and citizen’s right to a healthy environment.
Background
While delivering the KM Bashir Memorial lecture in Thiruvananthapuram “Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman” shared some of the observations, Justice Nariman known for his progressive constitutional interpretation during his time on the Supreme Court bench. The observation are that the Indian Constitution upholds the freedom of religion equally emphasizes on the right of every citizen to live free from unnecessary disturbance here he stated about the practice done by mosque loudspeaker and temple bell ringing and using loudspeaker above the limit has become more than expression of faith and directly harming the public health adding on to this Justice Nariman reminded the audience that a nation is not about majority dominance but it is about unity in diversity and respecting all the citizen equally.
Secularism and Equality
The most highlighted aspects of “Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman’s” lecture were secularism. For him secularism is not about a state with no religion or absence of religion, but it is about giving equal respect and restrictions for all the religions. Also added that by allowing unrestricted use of loudspeakers the state indirectly ends up favouring religious groups at the cost of citizen’s health and peace. Also gave the solution for it to ban loudspeakers across all the religions without any exception and any kind of permission clarifying that the use of technology like speaker and microphone could be used indoors in controlled spaces by this unwilling listener should be prohibited. According to Justice Nariman the use of loudspeakers undermines the very foundation of constitutional secularism which rests on equality, fraternity and non-discrimination. He added that the fraternity is not merely a constitutional goal but a practical necessity for India’s unity and survival as a diverse nation.
Conclusion
By the lecture of “Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman” and his call for a ban on loudspeakers across all religions represent a principled stance rooted in constitutional values his statement reminds all about the right to religious freedom that cannot overshadow the rights of others to live peacefully and healthy. By suggesting the Overall ban of loudspeakers in all the religions Nariman sought to protect public health and secular equality. The message by his lecture is clear that the faith is deeply personal, but it should be practiced with responsibility toward other people also.
About the Author
Tushar Kumar is a final-year BBA-LLB student at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. With a strong interest in Intellectual Property Rights, he enjoys exploring how law interacts with innovation and creativity. He’s equally passionate about legal writing, Research and believes in making complex legal ideas easier to understand through clear articles. Tushar continues to deepen his understanding of the law while contributing thoughtful pieces on contemporary legal issues.