COMPILED BY KULDEEP SINGH
In an open letter addressed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Commissioners of Police of Thane, Mumbai and other cities, and the Municipal Commissioners of Thane, Mumbai and other cities, concerned citizen Nuruddin Naik has made a strong plea to ban religious and political processions on public roads.
Naik writes as an ordinary Indian deeply worried by the growing nuisance these processions create across the country. “These processions are increasingly disturbing communal harmony, peace, and daily life,” he states. In today’s sensitive climate, he notes, such events frequently feature provocative slogans that escalate into confrontation and communal tension, damaging the secular fabric and unity of the nation.
The practical hardships are equally severe. Loudspeakers and DJ systems generate relentless noise pollution while road blockades trigger prolonged traffic jams. Office-goers, students, the elderly and ordinary citizens suffer daily inconvenience. Most critically, ambulances become trapped in these jams. Naik poses a stark question: if a patient suffering a heart attack cannot reach hospital in time and dies, who will be held responsible?
Drawing from his own faith, Naik emphasises that no religion endorses such disruption. “As a Muslim, I would like to state that Islam does not permit causing inconvenience to others or blocking public paths. Islam teaches us to remove obstacles from the road, not to create them.” Processions that disturb public life, he adds, run contrary to the true spirit of Islam—and of every other faith.
He further calls for an absolute prohibition on erecting stages, pandals or arches that obstruct traffic flow. The aftermath of these events compounds the problem: mounds of garbage left behind by organisers and visitors place an enormous burden on municipal workers already stretched thin. To enforce accountability, Naik suggests that authorities charge a heavy security deposit before granting any permission, so that damage to public property can be recovered from the organisers.
His core demand is clear and practical: the Government of India and all State Governments should stop permitting any religious or political procession on public roads. Where such gatherings are genuinely necessary, they must be confined to enclosed grounds and stadiums. Police and municipal authorities should refuse road permissions altogether. “This step will greatly help in maintaining communal harmony, public peace, and saving precious lives,” Naik concludes. He hopes the authorities will consider the request in the larger interest of the nation.
Nuruddin Naik – Jai Hind. Jai Maharashtra. Saare Jahaan se achha Hindustan Hamara.
