Pune: Narayan Peth resident and anti-noise pollution campaigner Vidyanand Bapat on Friday said his resolve has strengthened to continue his protest demanding strict enforcement of sound norms. Bapat’s statement came a day after he was assaulted by a Ganesh mandal worker amid the ongoing row over use of DJs and high-decibel sound systems during festivals like Ganeshotsav.The resident, who has been vocal in his opposition of loud sound systems during the festival, said neither the attack nor the possibility of another such incident would make him retreat from his stand. Speaking to TOI, he said differences over an issue should be settled through dialogue and arguments, rather than force. “I am even more resolute now. If you cannot counter ideas with ideas and cannot respond to issues with issues, then resolve those issues,” Bapat said, whilst surrounded by a police protection team.Kothrud resident Santosh Chavan had slapped Bapat on Thursday, objecting to his views on loud celebrations. Chavan was arrested on the same day and produced before court on Friday, where he was remanded in police custody till Saturday.Police have provided round-the-clock security to Bapat after the attack. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Krushikesh Rawale said his security will be reviewed regularly and a decision will be taken accordingly as to how long it should be continued.Asked if he feared another attack, Bapat said such incidents could not be completely ruled out, but would not deter him. “Just because there is a possibility of another incident, does that mean I should move away from my stand? Absolutely not,” he said.He cited historical examples of people like Galileo Galilei, Giordano Bruno, Socrates and Narendra Dabholkar, who faced opposition for their ideas, but whose positions were later accepted or led to wider change. “People may oppose an idea initially, but that does not mean the idea is wrong. Movements and campaigns evolve with time,” he said, adding that he belonged to the category of people whose resolve fortifies in the face of intimidation, rather than those who get scared after such attacks.An active member of the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, an organisation formed by late rationalist Dabholkar, 37-year-old Bapat said he is not seeking publicity but wants people to focus on the issues he has been raising. He said that while the recent widely shared online video of him opposing the use of high-decibel sound systems may have brought him into the public spotlight and triggered wider discussions in society, he has been raising the issue at an individual level for a long time and had repeatedly submitted his objections to several authorities earlier, including the chief minister and Prime Minister’s Office, besides the local MP and MLAs.Traditions that have continued for years must evolve with time and should ensure that people are not inconvenienced, he said, elaborating, “If citizens are being disturbed and their fundamental rights — to live peacefully and freedom of movement — are being violated, then traditions must evolve with the times.” He pointed out that many long-standing social practices, including sati and child marriage, have been abolished over time.Bapat, who identifies as an atheist, said he does not oppose celebration of festivals and that people should certainly do so at an individual or household level, as it is their freedom of religion and expression guaranteed by the Constitution. “However, while organising any public festival, it is essential to ensure that it does not cause noise pollution or obstruct traffic. That way, festivals will remain festivals and not become a social problem. Festivals should be occasions of joy, not punishment. Citizens should not feel that they are being punished because of someone else’s celebration. Otherwise, the divide we are now seeing between citizens and festival organisers — an ‘us versus them’ situation — will only grow,” he said.Not just DJs or sound systems, the noise pollution activist also raised concerns over the use of dhol-tasha during Pune processions, saying people who want to play loud music should opt for a closed-door auditorium where they can play as loudly as they want without causing inconvenience to others.Bapat, originally from Ratnagiri district, has been living in the Narayan Peth area for the last eight to nine years, an area through which the Ganpati visarjan (immersion) procession passes each year. “As annual festivals approach, residents in Peth areas become anxious, with some leaving their homes and returning only after celebrations end. Visitors from outside the city also avoid the areas during this period — a trend that has continued for years. The disturbance begins nearly two months in advance, with dhol-tasha rehearsals held in the open, making residents along the riverbanks among the worst affected,” he said, adding that the issue is now not limited to Peth areas but has spread across all parts of the city.Referring to the example of Solapur, where Ganeshotsav was celebrated without the use of DJ systems last year, he said residents there have shown a way forward for society. It was seen that without sound systems, there were no processions, which he considered a positive development. “There should be no processions at all, but if at all they have to be organised, they should be held outside the city limits, away from residential areas,” he said.Appreciating the support he has received from people, he said it was encouraging that citizens had started talking about the issue and expressing their views. “Citizen activism is becoming visible, and it can be transformed into a movement. Once a public movement begins, neither politicians nor anyone else can stop it, and I feel it is moving in that direction,” he said.
