Nobleman Justice Rohinton Nariman advocates for silencing public speakers across religious institutions, citing concerns over negative impact on public health.
Former Supreme Court Justice Rohinton Nariman Urges Nationwide Ban on Loudspeakers for Religious Purposes
In a thought-provoking address at the KM Bashir Memorial Lecture in Thiruvananthapuram on September 1, former Supreme Court justice Rohinton Fali Nariman called for a nationwide ban on loudspeakers used for religious purposes.
Justice Nariman, who is also the author of the recently published book 'An Ode to Fraternity,' emphasized that secularism is an essential step towards fraternity, and the Constitution of India envisages three strands: no state religion, no discrimination by the state on religious grounds, and equal rights for individuals to practice their faith.
He highlighted that the ban on loudspeakers and bell ringing is intended to avoid charges of favoritism across different religions. Justice Nariman believes that religious expressions through loudspeakers and bell ringing infringe on citizens' right to health and peaceful living.
Justice Nariman criticized distortions in history textbooks that erode fraternity and urged citizens to see fundamental duties as judicially enforceable obligations. He emphasized fraternity as the 'single pivot on which everything else works,' essential to protect individual dignity and national unity.
The former justice cautioned against fanaticism, describing fanatics as people who neither understand their own religion nor respect others'. He stated that fanaticism misuses religion for violence, hatred, and division, a sentiment he expressed in his latest publication 'An Ode to Fraternity.'
Justice Nariman traced five constitutional limits on religious freedom, including public health as a justification for restrictions on noise pollution from religious practices. He also highlighted the national flag's symbolism, explaining that the white band signifies peace and harmony among religions, and the Ashoka Chakra represents dharma and moral law.
Justice Nariman suggested that the Supreme Court should revisit the interpretation of the right to propagate religion as ruled in the Reverend Stainislaus (1977) case, which excluded voluntary conversion. He urged citizens to treat fraternity as a living constitutional value beyond governments and politics.
In his book, Justice Nariman spoke about how major world religions ultimately converge on moral living and the pursuit of happiness. He concluded by stating that the stakes are very high, the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation being at the center of the flag and the Constitution.
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