On 31st India celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi and welcomed prosperity to their home. Unfortunately we had to close all doors, windows, pull curtains whatever we could that could muffle the sounds of loudspeaker blaring in our neighbourhood. Me in Bangalore had to first listen to Kannad songs and then the entertainment program - where from children to teenagers to aunties sang poems to rock songs to shlokas. Most of them were out of tune and just needed the mic to run amok - which they did.
The wife had a headache, the adult kid put on Bose Quiet Comfort and grooved to her songs and me occupying the drawing room had to take the brunt of the sound as I am closest to the window which is closest to the speaker. If in Mumbai I would have at least heard hindi songs which I did when I stayed there for a year - there drums & orchestra ruled and unlike in Bangalore they walked in the road with people dancing on streets, bursting crackers. Then there is Dahi handi where people form a human pyramid and burst the handi or splash coloured water on everyone. Roads are blocked and we were advised to go home early or WFH. During the 2 years of COVID these gatherings were banned but this year it’s the 2nd day running that I have to listen to this.
Whom does one complain to ? Do we actually want to complain and spoil the fun which the kids and families of ISRO (the neighborhood) are having at our cost ? The answer to the 2nd question is NO, we just grit our teeth and bear it. That’s what we call accommodating which most right wing members don’t agree with when they ban azan’s being played from a mosque & reading of namaz on the roads.
These days we are trolled,warned & then jailed if you raise your voice especially if you belong to a minority or supporting them or rallying against the current wave of authoritarianism. Land within & around mosques are dug up to find idols hence linking it to a lineage of Hindu. Most of us are not impacted or ever will be because many of these events are far far away & just a news item which we may read and discard. Maybe have an intellectual discussion around it. But I think that will be the end of it.
It’s sad what we have become & becoming, on 15th August - someone forwarded one of the first India songs - mile sur mera tumhara. Many of us have grown up listening to that, it was a nice song like the Hamara Bajaj ad. It gave us a feeling of pride - pride for being such a vast sub-continent with so many languages and traditions. There was nothing more to it.
I would rather have 100 people enjoy the Ganesh Chaturthi in my neighbouring compound or ignore the azaan being read in loud speaker every morning or not bat an eyelid if my food is delivered by a minority group person or a beautician who comes home from the north east or the security guard protecting my apartment once belonged to Bangladesh and migrated during partition.
That’s my way …mile sur mera tumhara.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jf6pwtPqCs The video here.
