In this noisy city, voices are lost, subdued or crushed under the feet of the running mob. Not just the voices, but also the cries, the complaints, and even emotions are trampled. Anyone who comes to the city loses themselves in this swarm of voices. Not only do they forget themselves, but also tend to lose track of their surroundings. The car horns, muddled music blaring from the tapes of the buses, motorcycles without silencers and the rickshaws roaring past enters our heads from one ear and leaves from the other. The din that the sirens of the rushing police vans and ambulances make; the racket made by protesters and their slogans; the tumultuous noise of the gunshots, heard in times of anger have now all become the norm in times of happiness. In other places, one hears the ruckus made by generators running day and night, or motors providing water supply to the residents. Everywhere, there are beeping mobiles and computers, or the sound of the azaan from countless mosques, or the timely, untimely use of the loudspeaker by the Maulvi Sahab. There was once a time that televisions and radio sets were perceived as being dangerous to faith. Now, these two appliances have been taken over completely by these Maulvi Sahabs, who create a storm of noise that is transmitted to the public through TV and radio. There was also a time when music used to be melodious, and soothing to the ears. But now it has turned into a cacophonous collection of noises. Neither can one hear the singer’s voice, nor can one recognise the instrument being played. When one tries to watch a show, there is nothing to watch except arguments, yelling matches and weeping. -Illustration by Khuda Bux AbroThat leaves us with news channels that find it difficult to get ratings unless they torment your brain. Talk shows are just another form of wrestling that one may watch in the comforts of one’s home. Those who used to provoke fights, and then resolve them in the neighbourhood are now being hired at a hefty salary as talk show hosts. If a talk show host can make their guests use the highest number of expletives to degrade their guests, as well as provoke them to do the same in return, then that TV host gets paid the highest amount. Today, the members of this group are earning in millions, and are simultaneously enabling the public to release their hatred, watch someone being degraded and harassed, and helping the masses by fulfilling their desire of cheap entertainment.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 08:44:44 +0000
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