HC seeks Punjab response on plea against celebratory firing

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Friday asked the Punjab government to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) plea, seeking directions not to allow people to carry arms and ammunition to wedding functions and also to frame a policy to censor vulgar lyrics, which instigate people to behave in a violent or indecent way, especially towards women.

The petition was filed by an assistant professor of a Chandigarh college, Panditrao Dharennavar, seeking directions for the implementation of the Supreme Court (SC) orders banning sound amplifiers at night between 10 pm to 6 am and also to stop noise pollution exceeding

PETITION WANTS GOVT TO FRAME POLICY TO CENSOR VULGAR LYRICS AT WEDDINGS, WHICH IT SAYS INSTIGATE PEOPLE TO BEHAVE IN INDECENT WAY

the standard level of noise.

“The culture of dancing on the floor on vulgar songs is not part of Punjab’s great rich culture,” the petitioner has stated, lamenting that slowly and steadily this culture was spreading from urban areas to villages corrupting minds of youths and coming generations.

The petitioner gave the example of tragic death of 24-year-old orchestra dancer Kulvinder Kaur, who was shot dead by a drunk man on the dance floor of a marriage palace in Maur Mandi of Bathinda on December 3.

“It seems the songs, which were played backstage instigated some audience to behave in such a way that they started using the gun and fired hitting the girl,” he submitted.

The court was told that the state was failing in its duty as a welfare state in neither censuring the lyrics nor arms and ammunition and argued that the state was duty-bound to enforce rule of law to prevent vulgar songs, which instigate people to behave in a certain way “specially towards women who are presented as product of consumption in lyrics,” he submitted.