The other day it was another first for me. I had a headache. Initially, I didn’t realize what was happening when my head started feeling heavy, and slowly I felt like a needle was being inserted into my forehead.
I was not sure if I should take medicine and decided I would be better off without it. Going to bed seemed like a better idea. I crawled into bed in hopes of getting proper rest.
Just when I had the first swing of drowning into slumber a loudspeaker blared at 10 p.m. I snorted at its perfect timing. Within moments I became sure that it will wreck my sleep until morning.
Now the question is what was the person speaking through the loudspeaker which was so vital that he wanted the whole damn neighbourhood to listen ? Let me clarify the emergency of his situation. My dear friends, it was the initiation of a ‘Jagrata’. If you are not familiar with the term, it is a torturous way that people use on their neighbourhood by chanting songs in praise of God through a loudspeaker. To add to the torture, it starts at the wee hours of the night and becomes louder as the night matures.
I don’t know if its just me but it seems one of the most stupid things that anyone could do. I am not against God here. I like people believing in something that can give them strength and motivation. But, the question is why the hell do you have to make a pretentious show of your faith by disturbing the sleep of everyone living around you? Why do you have to sing the most bizarre godly versions of the famous Bollywood songs and pretending you are a devotee?
For me, it was just a headache. For someone old or ailing it could be a severe problem. I managed somehow but what happens if someone is in extreme need of rest and you blast their eardrums with such a dumb show of theism. I wonder if the person who organized the ‘jagrata’ receive anything other than curses for his or her actions.
Why do we need to make a show of belief ? Was this act any different than drunkards riding cars at night and blaring horns for no reason at all ? It had the same air of foolishness and the same effect, curses in return.
Be theist, be an atheist or be a pantheist. Be whatever you want. But don’t force it on anyone with your stupidest acts of pretense. Idiot is the word.
Goodnight
Sleep well
Stories About Life 