Gandhinagar: Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi today in an interview with Zee News said that people would play Garba till whatever time they want. However Sanghavi added that he would not give any statement on the issue of sound.

Zee anchor: Garba is closed by police in Gujarat at 12 midnight entirely, but Garba is identity of Gujarati.

Harsh Sanghavi: Arre bhai, Gujartis will play Garba till 5 in morning. You don’t worry about it.

Zee anchor: So Home minister from here assures that there will be change by Government in this direction?

Harsh Sanghavi: Last year also Congress had filed PIL against me in court! Gujarati will not play Garba in Gujarat, then will they go outside to play Garba? Now Gujaratis play Garba across the world. We are the people who celebrate festivals. We celebrate Lohri also, Bhangda also. So it’s a festival of happiness. People meet one another, do bhakti of Maa Amba. Maa Amba’s bhakti will be done with happiness.

Zee Anchor: Garba will go on till 5 am and will not be shut at 12 in midnight.

Harsh Sanghavi: See, you don’t drag me to technical issue. But people will play Garba with great excitement till whatever hours they want.

Harsh Sanghavi: I don’t want to give any statement on the issue of sound.

Now it’s worth noting here that the legal limit of playig Garba with sound on loud speakers is 12 midnight, as the State government has permitted it as per the Supreme Court order. However without loud speakers, one can play garba on the natural sound of dhol and other musical instruments even beyond midnight. So without mentioning loud speakers and mic, Sanghavi replied that Gujaratis will play Garba till whatever time they want. So if this interview of Sanghavi is scrutinized later for legal validity, there can be no objection, as Sanghavi is technically correct that people can play Garba till whatever time they want in the night. Sanghavi has not said that it can be played with loud speakers through the night.

Worth to note, that since Sanghavi has become the Home Minister, police have been seen liberal in allowing Garba events till late nights. Generally the Garba sessions go on till 1.30 or 2 am in the cities with loud speakers at multiple places when police allow it. At 1.30 am to 2.00 am, most singers and Garba players feel this was enough for the day. They then go for food joints before reaching home. Sanghavi has stated that food joints can operate till late in the night during Navratri without fearing that someone from police force would come and shut it. In 2019, the Gujarat government had announced and implemented its decision to allow shops and commercial establishment to function round the clock for 24 hours.

In case of most Garba events no one in proximity to venue objects the sound till late and thereofre police don’t intervene. People by and large understand that this is the festival that has ‘ratri’ word in its name and it is meant for nights.  Last year, police is believed to have received directives that no late night Garba event should be shut, unless someone approaches police and complain about it. In small centres like small towns and villages, Navratri is still played through entire night. Police don’t intervene as there’s none unhappy or complaining about it.

The bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court had last year refused to entertain a public interest litigation and told an applicant who was from Ahmedabad – “the violators are normal people, and you are a vigilant person, call 100 numbers. After 7 days, it will end. By making a phone call to the police, you prevail strongly. What did the minister actually say? Allowing Garba through night and loud music are two different things. Do you know how to approach the court? ……  Police will do needful if you bring it to their attention. This is the only solution. Violators can be taken to the police’s notice. You file FIR against violators. You can file an FIR against organizers for causing public nuisance or whatever. There are already orders. If there’s a violation, report it to the police. They will take care of them. In every matter, the court is not supposed to intervene. Or we will become police also. We are not police authorities. ”

Navratri this year is going to be celebrated during 3rd to 12th October.

DeshGujarat