The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the state police and West Bengal Pollution Control Board to regulate the timings for the beating of drums during Muharram on July 29.
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The Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya observed that continuous beating of drums on the occasion is not permissible and no religious tenet allows it. The Bench said the government must strike a balance between the right to enjoyment of religion under Article 25(1) with the right to life under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
The direction came while hearing a PIL filed by one individual named Shagufta Sulaiman.
The court said drum beating cannot go on continuously and directed the police to immediately issue a public notice, regulating the timing for the beating of drums. The Bench advised the state authorities to consider the observations of the Supreme Court which has said that everybody, including babies, the young, aged, sick, and mentally unstable persons have the right to live in a peaceful environment. The Bench also asked authorities to ensure that the noise decibel levels due to drum beating do not go beyond the permissible limits.