Mind your Decibels !!

I read from the TOI about the arrest of a few members belonging to a 'bhajan' (hindu religious hymns) singing group in a local train in Mumbai.

This arrest came, it seems, after the crack down earlier on the 'paan' (betel leaves)spitting and card playing groups.


This compels me to be philosophical and rationalise things yet again :


1) If 'Bhajans' on local trains can be troublesome to other (not so explicitly religious) people, should'nt we apply the same yard stick to our loudpeaker based religious fervour too?


2) It is obvious that even in a temporary place like a train people use 'bhajan' groups as a ruse to corner seats as well as carry on doing what they like to do most. These at the expense of others (say, someone who would like to quietly read).

Isnt the religion being exploited the same way outside the trains too? Isnt it high time that we started cracking down on any public display of religion.

Isnt terrorism an extrapolated phenomenon of the false religious passion. A passion hollow in spirituality and filled to the brim with ritualistic fanaticism.


3) Its time that we declared - "Religion in this country exists in the souls of the people and nowhere else"

And if it exists in the souls, why to go for temples, churches , mosques and ofcourse mobile Bhajan sounding rail compartments?