Hindu and Muslim community joined hands to remove loudspeakers from religious places in Moradabad.
In a rare show of communal amity, Hindus agreed to remove loudspeaker from temples and Muslims from mosques in a restive Moradabad village. According to police officials, tension was simmering in the village for the past three years over loudspeakers at houses of worship of both communities.
Circle officer (rural) Chakramani Tripathi told TOI, “Police and district administration of Moradabad are full of praise for the initiative taken by the elders of both the communities who amicably resolved the issue in the holy month of Ramzan.”
Triyadan village under the jurisdiction of Bhagatapur police station here has been in news for recurring communal violence over the use of loudspeakers on places of worship of both the communities in the past three years.
Dinesh Singh, a 40-year-old village resident, said, “Outsiders who had nothing to do with the village used to ignite communal tension which would often lead to violence. Later, police cases were filed against members of both the communities and many of us landed in jail. It took us a long while to see through their game-plan. Once things became clear to us, we decided to talk to each other which worked in everybody’s favour.”
Zakir Hussain, a 55-year-old villager, said, “Violence is an act of satan. In the holy month of Ramzan, we decided to take loudspeakers off the minarets of the mosques. Our Hindu brothers also decided to take loudspeakers off the temples. Now, we all live in peace here.”
Superintendent of police (rural) Uday Shankar told TOI that the initiative was taken by elders from both the communities who gathered everybody along where the issue of recurring communal tension was discussed threadbare. “Finally, they decided to do away with loudspeakers at the religious places.”
Use of loudspeakers at places of worship have led to a series of violence in the restive western Uttar Pradesh in the past few years, including Kanth in Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Sambhal and other such places.