Bapat urges critics to debate issues, not target him personally
Pune, September 4: Vidyanand Bapat, who was assaulted on Thursday following his campaign against loud DJ music, on Friday urged his critics to challenge his views through reasoned and logical debate rather than targeting him personally.
Addressing the media at a press conference in Pune, Bapat said attempts were being made to divert attention from the issue of noise pollution by questioning his identity and residence.
“Debate and challenge my argument logically. If my point is proved wrong, I will withdraw it,” Bapat said.
He described questions about his being a non-resident of Pune as an ad hominem attack, arguing that criticism should focus on the issue rather than the individual raising it.
Referring to Pune as Maharashtra’s intellectual and cultural capital, Bapat questioned what kind of culture allowed a person to be attacked merely for expressing an opinion.
‘Not opposed to festivals’
Bapat clarified that his campaign was not against Hindu festivals or festivals of any particular religion. His objection, he said, was specifically to excessive noise, traffic disruption and unruly behaviour in public spaces.
“Noise pollution and traffic disruption are being imposed on citizens in the name of festivals,” he alleged, maintaining that extremely loud DJ music amounted to noise pollution. He compared the harmful impact of excessive noise to what he described as “explosive killing.”
Dismissing arguments based on hurt religious sentiments, Bapat said such claims were often raised when people were unable to provide a logical counterargument.
“Emotions are not like pain in the stomach, chest or head. People raise the issue of sentiments only when they are unable to offer a logical counterargument,” he said.
Calls for change in festival traditions
Bapat advocated changes in the manner in which festival processions are conducted, particularly to reduce noise pollution. He cited Solapur, where some festival mandals had voluntarily called off their processions over concerns related to noise.
He argued that a 132-year-old festival tradition should evolve with changing times. If processions could not be conducted without causing noise pollution, he said, cancelling them altogether could also be considered.
As an alternative, he suggested that processions could be organised outside city limits, using a single lane of a wide road.
Bapat alleged that those who attacked him were seeking cheap publicity instead of engaging in an intellectual or logical debate.
Supports police protection
Following Thursday’s assault, Bapat has been provided police protection. He welcomed the move, saying that in a constitutional democracy, law enforcement agencies have a duty to protect citizens.
He clarified that the police had not restricted his freedom of expression but had advised him to avoid programmes and interactions in open public spaces. He also said citizens had a responsibility to ensure that security agencies were not placed under unnecessary additional strain.
Bapat reiterated that his campaign against loud DJ music would continue. He said a proposal to give an organisational structure to the civic activism that has emerged around the issue was “in the pipeline”, although no formal announcement had been made.
He also indicated that, circumstances permitting, he may participate in Sunday’s march from Goodluck Chowk to the Pune Municipal Corporation.
‘Self-defence and festival issues are separate’
On the issue of self-defence, Bapat argued that India should consider a universal right to bear arms, similar to the United States. However, he distinguished between possessing a weapon for self-defence and publicly brandishing machetes or other weapons, calling comparisons between the two a “false equivalence”.
Bapat urged those accusing him of opposing the Ganesh festival to directly challenge the Supreme Court’s guidelines on noise instead.
He maintained that festivals, noise pollution and river pollution should be treated as separate issues rather than being conflated.
Bapat also expressed support for environmentally responsible festival practices, citing the use of shadu clay idols instead of Plaster of Paris.
He said his family continues the tradition of installing a Ganesh idol at home, even though he had gradually developed atheistic views with age.
Bapat said his campaign against excessive DJ noise would continue despite the assault, stressing that differences of opinion should be addressed through debate and constitutional means rather than violence.
