Silence zones coming up in Malda

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Dec. 14: In order to give relief to people from sound pollution problem the district administration is planning to identify Silence Zone in at least 10 places of the English Bazaar town soon, the district magistrate said today. The Malda DM Mr CR Das has asked his two additional district magistrates and other officials to identify the notified areas in this town and chalked out a plan to notify the areas officially. The decision was taken following an objection raised by the Malda Ramkrishna Mission chief Swami Divyananda Maharaj. Since a year Swami Divyananda has been protesting against a particular culture of people for using the new ‘band party’ locally called Tasa Party with high volume microphone for any occasion from the immersion of idols to marriage ceremonies. On the other hand, a section of people of this town has been criticising the ‘bad taste’ culture for using Tasa Party terming it Chasa Party.Swami Divyananda Maharaj had lodged a complaint with the district administration a year ago.Though the then Malda SP posted a group of police personnel in front of his bungalow, which is located between two important schools Barlow Girls’ and Vivekananda Vidyamandir, on way to Mission Ghat, the organisers did not care about the restriction. Even they do not care of people and use Tasa party in front of district hospital, temples, and mosques and various schools. A few days ago the Maharaj vehemently protested and forced the organisers and family members of various marriage parties to stop such music performed by the Tasa Party in front of the Ramkrishana Mission and its own school Vivekananda Vidyamandir, on way to the Mission Ghat of the river Mahananda. Divyananda Maharaj urged the administration to stop such ‘menace’ and directly took help of a local cable channel and urged to the people through the channel not to use Tasa Party in all places to enjoy any occasion of their own creating problem of others. “The sound of the Tasa Party is unbearable and it cannot be allowed in all places in English Bazaar town. We are going to impose restriction in the silence zone to be identified officially soon. The people will have to follow the system,” said Mr Das.