Source: Afternoon Despatch & Courier
MUMBAI, INDIA, JANUARY 31, 2002: Veteran artists and performers are upset about the unfairness of the 10 p.m. deadline for the use of loudspeakers enforced by India’s Supreme Court. The law states that any activity involving the use of loudspeakers or exceeding a decibel level that could be considered disruptive to residents of the area is not permissible after 10 p.m. Says Bharat Ratna awardee and Rajya Sabha member, Lata Mangeshkar, “I am incensed about this law. We have a concert once a year where the stage is elaborately decorated and people eagerly await these events. The light and the stage setting come together only after the sun goes down and it is foolhardy to expect that a show like this will be wrapped up in two hours.” Many performers enjoy the freedom and ambience of an outdoor concert rather than the constraints of an enclosed auditorium.