Three months after singer Sonu Nigam triggered a controversy through his remarks against “aazan”, actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi has revived the debate on the contentious issue by tweeting her annoyance to “aggressive, ear shattering call of azaan”.
“Came home at 4.45 am 2 most aggressive/ear shattering call of azaan. Nothing more lowlife & dumb than such extreme imposed religiosity,” Suchitra, former wife of director Shekar Kapur, tweeted on Sunday morning.
In elaboration, Suchitra tweeted and responded to tweets, saying, “I wake up at Brahmamuhurt of my own accord & do my prayers & riyaz & yoga. I dont need public loudspeakers to remind me of my God or my duty... Nobody objects to azaan or prayers during decent hours. But to be waking up entire neighbourhood at 5 am is not civilised...”
“Yes India has the loudest #Azaan in the world. Even louder than in the Islamic States!.,” Suhitra tweeted.
In response to another tweet, Suchitra said she had similar dislike to gau rakshaks and beef ban. “BTW ive used similar words for gaurakshaks & beef ban- how come u didnt notice thenIJ This false & 4 convenience sense of persecution must end”.
“Extreme religiousity dumbs and dwarfs the mind & restricts free thought. Applicable to all religions,,, and yes i agree my words were too strong. Its the writer & dramatist in me - i get carried away,” Suchitra tweeted.
Suchitra’s tweets evoked severe criticism in sections of social and other media. “I don’t even know who this woman is. If she had been a freedom fighter, I would’ve thought something of her words. If these people who sing and dance, who attend parties till 2 am, who stand with strange men wearing half clothes, which is against Indian culture, comment something on azaan, there voice should be stopped.
“These people do such things for cheap publicity. Faith is the biggest issue in our country. Worshipping of cows or use of loudspeakers for azaan should be respected in our country,” Azmi said.
It may be recalled Nigam had on April 17 this year stoked a controversy by putting out a series of tweets, expressing his reservations over the use of loudspeakers at mosques and wondering as to when there would be an end “forced religiousness” in India.
“God bless everyone. I’m not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the Azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India... “And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.. Why do I have to have this cacophony after EdisonIJ,” he said in two tweets.
In yet another tweet, Nigam had said: “I don’t believe in any temple or gurudwara using electricity To wake up people who don’t follow the religion. Why then..IJ HonestIJ TrueIJ”. An exasperated singer concluded his tweeter campaign by saying: “Gundagardi hai bus...”.
Unfazed by a raging controversy over his “aazan” remarks, a defiant singer Sonu Nigam on April 19 shaved off his head on Wednesday in protestagainst a fatwa issued against him by a Muslim cleric from West Bengal who had offered Rs 10 lakh to anyone who shaved the singer’s hair and paraded him around the country with a garland of old shoes around his neck.