August 30, 2009

Where is my 'Right to peaceful Sleep'

It’s the holy month of Ramzan and also the equally holy 11 days of Ganesh puja. This is that time of the year when the devotion of my faithful brothers surpasses their personal sphere into the privacies of others. As my fellow Muslim citizens prepare for their early morning prayers, I am being woken up by their practices every morning at 4 o’clock. This is by a fakir who goes around all the muslim houses singing aloud, playing a ‘dhapli’ waking people up for their early prayers, with no mercy what so every for those who need to sleep. A few minutes later, another instruction comes in the form of sirens from the mosques. A little later, its now time for the prayer itself, in the form of the ‘azaan’ blaring from the loud speakers at around 5 AM. And when there are multiple mosques in the same area, then the morning ‘azaan’ lasts for more than the usual time since they cannot coordinate it. And when all of them do pray together, it is even louder and more alarming to wake one up. An hour past these prayers, my Hindu brethren start with their bhajans; again in loud speakers at around 6 AM.

Can I ask why I am being woken up early in the morning at 4 AM, just so that my fellow citizens can do their religious rituals? Is it too much to demand from this secular state to have a peaceful night of sleep after all the stress from the office and the traffic?

Should Indian secularism always be interpreted in favor of the over-religious? The insanity of religious pomp does not seem to let up with the zealots on both the sides hijacking the serenity of our cities. The voices of sanity are stifled in the name of communal sensitivity of the issue.

I am not against any religion or anyone following any ritual. I understand that they need the mercy of god more than I do but I have every right to peaceful sleep as a law abiding and tax paying citizen of this country. No one has the right to violate my right to life which implicitly gives me many other minor rights and it should also include the ‘Right to peaceful sleep’ that I am asking/demanding/begging for.