Monday, January 04, 2010

how to achieve silent piety

jan 4th, 2010

this is what shashi tharoor twittered yesterday, and it is a very reasonable thought. nobody wants to be woken up at 5am by a blast of devotional hindu songs from the nearby temple. (i know the temple close to his house.)

but does shashi have the same sentiments about the tens of thousands of mosques blasting arabic caterwauling at full volume at 5am and five times during the day, deafening all in the vicinity? why isn't shashi pushing for the eminently sensible solution that singapore has evolved -- all mohammedans are given FM radios, and the mullahs broadcast the calls to the faithful at the appropriate times on the radio, so that the rest of the public does not have to listen to it? 

and i wonder what shashi would have to say about the conversion jamboree being held by some bizarre christist cult at the salvation army school near his house where they had, for several days in a row, weird hypnotic chanting/singing (think branch davidians, lately of waco, texas) and hallelujah's being blasted all day and late into the evening? 

true indian-style pseudo-secularists would only object to the hindu event. (note: i don't know what shashi would say. i am not casting any aspersions on tharoor, just predicting what the media and other 'intelligensia' in india would say in response to these questions.)

Wld feel better if I hadn't been roused by a loudspeaker blaring devotional songs at 5 am. I believe in silent prayer, not inflicting piety!


2 comments:

Sameer said...

The fellow doesnt have the cojones to say the same for Namaaz or Church prayers..

SaVeKi said...

he is speaking for himself and his belief.. no need to read to much on this, i feel..