Solapur, Maharashtra--Anti Honking Campaign by Youth Forum and Sakaal Newspaper

Add caption

The 'Pursuit Of Silence' In A World Full of Noise

http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4945

April 8, 2010

by GEORGE PROCHNIK

Writer George Prochnik says he's had a passion for silence as long as he can remember.

"I can't sit in my house without hearing air conditioners," he tells Dave Davies. "I worry about this layer of noise that's placed on top of infrastructure noise. It's made [noise] inescapable."

In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise
By George Prochnik
Hardcover, 352 pages
Doubleday
List price: $26

Read an Excerpt

In his new book, In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise, Prochnik leaves the noisy confines of New York City and goes on a global quest to find those who still value silence. He examines the never-ending series of sounds that pervade his thoughts on a daily basis — the traffic helicopters, the leaky iPods, the neighbors who hold loud parties — and researches the scientific effects of noise on our bodies.

"There's increasing evidence that harm goes across our systems [from noise]," he says. "There's been a long association with noise and hearing loss — many times subways that haven't been maintained are already running at decibel levels that are dangerous — but there's also new studies just completed that show danger to our cardiovascular systems. Even when not awakened, blood pressure goes up and hours later, the blood pressure is still elevated."

Related NPR Stories

Single Mother Flocks To Silent Retreat For Peace, ClarityMarch 29, 2010

Kids' Use of Earbuds Worries Hearing ExpertsApril 26, 2007

Hearing Loss Feared for Users of MP3 PlayersMarch 16, 2006

Courtesy George Prochnik

George Prochnik is also the author ofPutnam Camp: Sigmund Freud, James Jackson Putnam, and the Purpose of American Psychology. He has written forPlayboy, The Boston Globe and The New York Times.

Among the noises Prochnik investigates in In Pursuit of Silence are those deliberately added to an environment to trigger key emotions and excitement. He points to one study conducted in France that showed a clear correlation between noise levels and how much people eat and drink.

"What we know is that if you're loud at this point in our culture, it seems to signify that you're having a good time," he says. "This is the same phenomenon that we find in restaurants, which continue to get louder in many cities every year. ... People, it seems, will often not eat as much in a really loud environment. However, what they will do is drink more. ... So that sense of loss of control, of celebratory arousal, is something some restaurant spaces can benefit from."

Prochnik says that on trips to a Quaker meeting and a monastery, he learned that absolute silence doesn't exist but that quiet spaces are essential because they "can inject us with a fertile unknown: a space in which to focus and absorb experience."

"What surprised me is degree to which the monks don't associate silence with gloomy overhang," he says. "There's sense of joyfulness of turning themselves down to be conscious of greater things."

Excerpt: 'In Pursuit Of Silence'

by GEORGE PROCHNIK

In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise
By George Prochnik
Hardcover, 352 pages
Doubleday
List price: $26

Chapter One

Listening for the Unknown

On my second night in the monastery, I heard the silence. I was inside the church: a beautiful, vast chamber of limestone blocks that resemble lumpy oatmeal and were quarried from the Iowan earth by the monks themselves in the mid-nineteenth century. The monks had finished compline, the last of the day's seven prayer services, and had filed off into the inner recesses of the monastery, where they would observe the Great Silence, speaking to no one until after mass the next morning. The last of the monks to leave had switched off the lights above the choir, and then the light over the lectern. Though the section of visitors' pews where I sat still had a little illumination, the body of the church was now in total blackness except for the faint flickering of a votive candle suspended high in the distance against the far wall. For the first quarter hour, a few worshippers remained on the benches around me.

Although I sat very quietly, I found my mind busy and loud. Mostly I was reflecting on the service I had just heard, which Brother Alberic, my gracious liaison to the world of the monastery, had described as a kind of lullaby. Compline is lovely, and I was frustrated that I had not been able to find it more profound. These weren't my prayers. I yearned only for more quiet. My thoughts were noisy enough that I half expected to see them break out of my skull and begin dancing a musical number up and down the wooden benches.

Soon the other worshippers departed and I was left alone. For a moment or two, my experience was of literal silence. Then, all at once, there came a ting, a tic, another tic, a tap, and a clang. The sounds came from all around the enormous dark church. They ranged from the verge of inaudibility to the violence of hammer blows; discrete chips of sound and reverberatory gonnngs. Out of nowhere, I was treated to a concert by the sound of heat in the pipes. It was a grand, slightly menacing sound that I had been oblivious to not only during the prayer service but afterward in the din of my mental dithering. And it was worth that long opening pause. The ever-changing sonic punctuation of this empty space — which had first seemed soundless — gave me a tingling sense of elevation. This is it, I told myself. Silence made everything resonate.

And yet . . . Later that night when I retreated to my room, and my euphoria had subsided, I wondered why I had been affected so powerfully. Objectively, the only thing that had happened, after all, was that I had heard the metal of the pipes expanding and contracting as they heated and cooled. Why should that experience have made me feel that I was "hearing the silence"? Why did I feel at that lonely hour that I had found what I was looking for when I came to the monastery?

What brought me to the New Melleray Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa, was the desire to learn from people who had made a lifelong commitment to devout silence. Trappist monks, a branch of the Cistercian order, do not make a vow of total silence, and today there are times when they engage in conversation; but silence is their mother tongue. Saint Benedict, who is credited with founding Western Christian monasticism in the sixth century, most famously at Monte Cassino, southeast of Rome, wrote a document known as the Rule that remains their guide to this day. In the Rule, monks are defined before all else as disciples, and the defining quality of the disciple is "to be silent and listen." Trappists are among the monks known as "contemplatives." Their interaction with the world outside the monastery is minimal. Much of their worship is silent. They study in silence. They work almost entirely in silence. They eat primarily in silence. They pass each other in the monastery corridors without speaking. They retire at 8 pm to separate cells and rise at 3:15 am, when they gather in silence to pray. They avoid idle talk at all times. And even after the morning mass, throughout much of their demanding day, they are discouraged from speaking. Almost everything the Trappist does takes place in silence — is pressed close by its weight, or opens out onto that expanse, depending on how you look at it.

Monks have, moreover, been at the pursuit for quite some time. Alberic remarked at one point that while it is often said that prostitution is the oldest profession, he believes that monks were around before there were prostitutes. This struck me as unlikely, but it still gave me pause.

There was a personal stake in this journey as well: I needed a break. I'd had a hectic, noisy winter in the city — medically harrowing, filled with bills, the hassles of insurance claims, technology fiascos, and preschool worries. Plans to visit friends in the country had fallen through several times. I'd tried to go to a Zen retreat in New England that taught the breath- and silence-based meditation practice of vipassana, only to be told at the last moment that although I could come and sit silently with the retreatants, the guesthouse itself was overbooked and I'd have to stay in a bed-and-breakfast in town. The thought of beginning my daily practice over fussy French toast in a dining room packed with antiquers — where tasteful classical music would be piped in to glaze over the gaps in conversation — didn't conduce to inner quiet. I had to get out of New York. Yet it was hard to arrange anything. Just because we have a nagging sense that silence is good for us doesn't make it any easier to actually commit to.

I didn't think of quiet only as one of those overdue restoratives. Beyond the idea of wanting to learn something about the Trappist path and get away from the noise in my own life, I was hoping to find some truth in the silence of the monastery that I could take back to New York. I'd packed a stack of books and volumes of photocopied pages representing different theological and philosophical traditions — everything from Martin Heidegger and Max Picard to kabbalistic disquisitions, an array of Buddhist tracts, and enough Christian monastic literature to envelop a monk from tonsure to toe. I needed help.

From In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise by George Prochnik. Copyright 2010 by George Prochnik. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday. All rights reserved.

Less Noise Please!!!

“Noise should be seen but not heard,” states one advertisement for window glass. However, we Indians love noise — the more the better! That's the reason why we do not pay much attention given to noise reduction in homes.

An incident of outside noise causing problem to a residential area came up a few years ago. The newly opened high-rise building had installed an air-conditioner. The water used was re-circulated by cooling through a motor/pump. This set off a continuous humming sound that was a source of annoyance to the neighbourhood. A complaint given to the owner of the building was ignored stating that the noise was within limits.

Thoroughly disappointed with such a negative attitude, some of the residents approached the Corporation authorities. Thanks to the investigation work done by the inspector concerned, the owner agreed to install a barrier to contain the sound. Then the noise level reduced considerably much to the relief of the residents, who had suffered for so long.

Traffic noise is one of the sources of noise that affects a householder. He/she has little control over such man-made noise, except taking certain steps to minimise the effect of noise inside. Plants outside, where possible, could cut some of the noise. Blinds and drapes on windows could further act as barriers. It is rare to see a construction, which has proactively taken steps to install noise-reducing steps such as fixing foam boards and other sound absorbing materials inside or outside the walls. That applies to windows, which could have a frame outside that could absorb or deflect sound.

Noise generated inside a house is rarely recognised by someone who has been living along. He/she fails to appreciate the fact that the noise level is high and could have long-term deleterious effects such as loss of hearing or other effects on the human body due to prolonged exposure to noise. There are a few sources of noise inside a house — TV, music system, air-conditioner, washing machine, refrigerator, microwave and so on.

Some of the modern domestic appliances have less noise level. For example, a refrigerator, as it is on continuous operation, makes a buzzing noise when the compressor is activated periodically. The modern refrigerator, especially the compressor, is improved as far as energy and noise level are concerned as compared to the older versions. It would be desirable if the householder pays attention to noise emanating from domestic appliances and seeks advice before buying a particular model. While some noise is unavoidable, one has to look for constant buzz or heavy noise that could lead to long-term effects without one's knowledge.

Loss of hearing is one health hazard which one recognises when it's too late. Personal stereos and cellphones should be used with caution, preferably at reduced sound levels or with hand-held devices and that too sparingly. Another problem are noisy neighbours! We can only appeal to them to tone their TV/music system and talk/laugh less loudly!

Indoor drapes, shades, indoor plants and lower noise domestic equipment are the means to achieve lower noise levels for a comfortable living. A floor could have sound absorbing materials coated to minimise noise when someone walks on it. Sound absorbing material could be fixed inside or outside at strategic locations which could minimise the external noise effect. That applies to noise deflectors, such as barriers and plants that could deflect noise if it is from any specific location.

Noise could lead to health hazards, besides spoiling one's mood when someone seeks quiet and peace at his/own home. The government has fixed a limit of 55 db maximum for residential areas during daytime and 45 db maximum during nighttime, which unfortunately is followed more in the breach than in practice. A citizen has a right to complain about noise that disturbs him. Police could lend a helping hand to shut down loudspeakers beyond 10 p.m. or warn a boisterous party going on next door.

(The writer's email is dbnvimi@gmail.com)

Youth Campaign

Bangalore activists continue their campaign against noise!

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_stop-honking-it-s-that-time-of-the-month_1408197

Mission Peace: Bangalore: Stop the Noise!

Bangalore is marching ahead as a quieter city. Check this out!

http://www.missionpeaceblr.blogspot.com/

Harmful effects of noise include:

• Loss of hearing

• Increase in blood pressure

• Sleep disturbances

• Heightened irritability

• Digestion problems

The 10th of every month is now No Honking Day in Bangalore. On 28th April 2010, International Noise Awareness Day, Mission Peace in association with Karnataka Police launched a monthly No Honking Day for Karnataka State.

LET US ALL:

• Use horn only when absolutely

necessary; use cut-out for

reverse-horn, especially in silent

zones and during the night.

• Not use shrill or multi-tone or

multi-blow horns.

• Fix the silencer of our twowheelers

or four-wheelers.

• Avoid travelling in autorickshaws

with tampered silencers.

• Switch off loudspeakers beyond

permitted hours.

If you believe in the cause, sign the pledge to curb noise pollution:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/missionpeaceblr/

Contact us for an anti-honking sticker for your shop or vehicle.

The National-Dubai newspaper takes on Noise in India

In, India’s metropolitan areas, it’s easy to find almost everything. However, there’s one important thing they tend to lack: silence. Even in the middle of a lonely, labyrinthine neighbourhood, the constant din of heavy traffic permeates the air. Even at night, and even when there is no traffic to speak of....read more...click below...
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090328/MOTORING/321424477/1196

Noise Level Reduced Greatly In Mumbai!!!

Publication:Mumbai Mirror ;
Date:Apr 9, 2009;
"Survey finds noise levels across the city reduce greatly as compared to last year"

Citizens of Mumbai have a lot to complain about, what with growing recession, crowded public transport, pothole-ridden roads, manic lifestyles, et al. Thankfully, there’s respite from one quarter: A recent survey has revealed that this crazy metropolis has turned into a quieter place in the last one year – with noise levels having gone down by a significant eight to 10 decibels (db)! Readers will recall that April 7, 2008, was designated as a ‘No-Honking’ day by Mumbai’s traffic police. Students and teachers at Jai Hind College, Churchgate, therefore, decided to cover the city – armed with decibel meters – to check the effect that the diktat would have on Mumbai’s horncrazy public. Under the guidance of Dr Ambika Joshi, Dr Sangita Parab, Prof Udhav Zarekar and Prof Payal Rane, students – from 5 am to 9 pm – measured the noise levels at four places: Charni Road (south Mumbai), Old Nagardas Road at Andheri (western suburb), Daftari Road in Malad (western suburb)and JSD Road in Mulund (eastern suburb). And although there was no traffic police campaign this year, the students and faculty repeated the exercise again on the same date, and at the same venues, to get a comparative analysis. “Surprisingly, the average noise levels during morning peak hours have come down from 75db to 65db, whereas levels during the evening have reduced from 72.5db to 67.5db,” said Prof Rane, who initiated the survey.....
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TU1JUi8yMDA5LzA0LzA5I0FyMDAxMDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Interning with Ashoka, I had the fortune of meeting this top 'Guru' who has been fighting noise pollution very effectively. Watch this 18 mins exclusive interview with one of the most influential figures active in this field in India. Sumaira Abdulali has singlehandedly forced a stricter policy framework and its implementation in order to eliminate noise pollution. Definitely inspiring!

sumaira abdulali

Where are the silence zones, HC asks BMC, govt, police
Orders clear demarcation of the zones in the city at the earliest

MUMBAI MIRROR BUREAU The city will soon have clearly specified silence zones, after the Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the commissioner of police, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the government to clearly demarcate silence zones in the city.......

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TU1JUi8yMDA5LzAyLzI3I0FyMDA5MDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA5LzAzLzAyI0FyMDAzMDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Meeting the 'Quiet Hero of India'--deputy traffic commissioner of police, Mumbai.

My joy knew no bounds when I happened to bump into the deputy traffic commissioner of Police, Mumbai Mr. Harish Baijal at the Khala Ghoda festival recently. This is the man who is set to change the honking scenario in India. It is with his singleminded leadership that Mumbai city has now become much more quieter than before. Within a year's time, nearly 200,000 individuals have been fined by the Mumbai traffic police for non-compliance with the anti-honking regulations. Everyday nearly 1500 are punished for unnecessary / excessive / abnormal honking.
It so happened that at Khala Ghoda arts and culture festival, a street play on no honking was organized. I really liked the initiative and wanted to know more...and there he was--Mr. Baijal 6 feet+ tall. No honking and traffic regulation top on his agenda. After the street-play, even as his special drama crew rushed to the van which was covered with no honking stickers from all sides, I found a moment to meet up with Mr. Baijal and his wife. He called up the driver of the crew van and warned him not to honk, at least for the sake of respecting the stickers on his van! The guy saluted and said 'Yes Sir, I mean No Sir, I will not Honk'. I was invited to Mr. Baijal's office the next day.
Mr. Baijal briefly shared with me his story of success and difficulties with the campaign, and how he himself was not concerned about the issue as recently as 4 years ago. It then struck him one day, and now the rest his history. As we discussed the issue, he was full of new plans and ideas for the creative promotion of this campaign and was busy working out the no honking week details on his computer screen. He very generously offered me 5000 printed anti-honking stickers for promotion of the campaign. I was impressed by his resolve to fight the honking nuisance. His assistant told us how they believe in a change of mindset--'There was a day when it seemed almost impossible that the British would leave this country, but a day came when the country united together for a cause and we got our freedom. No honking is simpler--we only need to make people aware, and our job is done.' Mr. Baijal is looking for more voluntary support and suggestions for the campaign.
It was encouraging to see how an upright, creative, concerned and dedicated senior government official can make a huge difference to our society.

Quiet India travels across India!

I had the opportunity to participate in TATA Jagriti Yatra in December 2008. It was a train trip with 400 youth of India to discover and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of young Indians. I used it as an opportunity to promote the message of Quiet India--Horn Not Ok Please. 400 T-Shirts and stickers were distributed to participants coming from all corners of India. Media people on the train also took the notice. The T-shirts were subsidized through private sponsorships. It was a yet another effort to make No Noise a national issue. Intense debates and discussions on the issue were found taking place in train compartments. We managed to create enough Noise for a Quieter India, notwithstanding the fact that organizers of the Yatra were initially very apprehensive of the whole idea! Thanks to Jagriti Yatra Pune team who helped me with the entire operation--carrying 400 T-shirts and distributing them on a train was certainly a challenging experience!

for more infor on the Yatra visit: http://www.jagritiyatra.com/

No Honking in Delhi

NEW DELHI
: If you like honking your way through the streets of the capital, devoid of concern that a hospital or a school is around, the first day of this New Year is for you to stay indoors!...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/No_Honking_Day_in_Delhi_on_Jan_1/articleshow/3918027.cms

Hands Off The Horn!

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA5LzAyLzA1I0FyMDAzMDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

What do Mumbaikars think about Anti-Honking Campaign?

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TU1JUi8yMDA5LzAyLzA2I0FyMDEwMDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Mumbai progresses to tackle Noise Pollution

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA5LzAxLzA5I0FyMDA3MDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

No Honking in Delhi on New Year's Day!

Earth Savers Foundation takes the initiative in Delhi. January 2009.

Ashok Kamte had endorsed the idea of Horn NOT OK Please.

Mumbai No Honking Day a Grand Success

Click on the links below to know more--

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzA0LzA1I0FyMDA3MDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
http://epaper.timesofindia.com
/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzA0LzA3I0FyMDAzMDQ=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzA0LzA2I0FyMDA0MDQ=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

BIG B Puts a Horn Not Ok sticker on his car!

See the picture--
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/07look.htm

Mumbai Goes Quieter! April 7 Declared as No Honking Day!

All those who have believed in the cause of a Quieter India--No Unncessary Honking, this is a moment to rejoice! The Mumbai Traffic Police have started carcking down on honking law offenders. To spread awareness on the issue, the World Health Day (April 7) will be observed as 'No Honking Day' in Mumbai. Let us all join hands and promote the same in our own cities. Please visit the following links to know more--

1. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzAzLzA3I0FyMDA0MDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

2. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzAzLzA3I0FyMDA0MDI=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

3.http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA4LzAzLzA3I0FyMDA0MDU=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Baramati horn not ok please rally 26-01-08

Street hawkz motercycle brigade.

Rally of motorcyclist's on Baramati street.

BARAMATI Horn not OK please rally 26-01-08.

Baramati—Declaration of New Freedom!

(Quiet India—Horn NOT OK Please!)

--Report by Robin Redull. January 26, 2008.


Baramati in Maharashtra State Declared a Republic Day of a different kind on Saturday. It declared Freedom from HONKING OF HORN in its Quiet India initiative, HORN NOT OK PLEASE. From chief inspector of Police and Deputy Revenue officer, leading business persons and ladies, down to town boys of the Street Hawks motorcyclist’s brigade, more than 80 motor bikes with over 100 people quietly and purposefully led a major rally through the town centre on a 5.0 km circuit.

After a two minute “Quiet Time”, giving the campaigners peace within, they proceeded in double file behind a large banner, and with no overtaking or honking the long serpent of motor bikes brought Baramati to a standstill, with towns people applauding and cheering, whilst others were clearly puzzled. Fellowship was enjoyed by everyone involved being aware that their Care for India efforts through the broader MRA Initiatives of Change were gradually bringing to an end the noise pollution in this thriving town.

Emblazoned with canary yellow printed tee shirts, the serpent of bikes was clearly distinguishable in the town melee. Plans are afoot to bring this campaign to Mumbai after recent successes in Pune and Solapur. The Crystal Group and Street Hawks promised to carry this message throughout India on their future tours.

Ghandiji led Quit India campaign, the freedom campaign from Empire. However, Quite India campaign leader Vipul Shaha of Pandare village stated that “Quietness is of benefit to us all, and rudeness and bullying by motor cyclists and all drivers must come to an end” leading us all to freedom from unnecessary noise.

Street Hawk leader Pranav Soman, who previously had smashed his leg in a motor cycle accident, stated that “Our choice is courteousness and safety, or recklessness and death on the road”. Campaign initiator Robin Redsull of UK, last week having attended a fatal accident near Pandare with Abhay Shaha late at night stated that “For one second of waiting, one man had killed his pillion passenger in less than a second. Was this a fair price to pay for impatience?”

The campaigners thanked the entire town and its people at the rally end in Station Yard for being so patient and attending to the rally. Quiet India – HORN NOT OK PLEASE. Remember it. Do it!

Indira College Students peform street play on noise pollution--Oct 2, 2007

Solapur Rally--Nov 30, 2007--more than 500 participated!

Mumbai Police Starts cracking down on offenders

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TU1JUi8yMDA3LzEyLzEwI0FyMDEyMDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom

Introduction to Campaign

Background:

When Vipul Shaha, a business student from Baramati—Pune, returned from his two months summer internship in UK in June 07, what struck him the most was the amount of noise and chaos on Indian roads. He found it amusing how vehicles in India carry messages like-- ‘HORN OK PLEASE’ ‘PLEASE BLOW HORN’.

A British architect and an author in the UK—Mr. Robin Redsull, who regularly visits India on various social projects, had already challenged Vipul to change this scenario--‘Next time I come to India, I don’t wish to wear earmuffs!’

Vipul decided to make a difference and cycled 120 kms. from Pune to Baramati--sporting a T-Shirt that read ‘Horn NOT OK Please’ to spread the message. He got together with a few of his friends from Initiatives of Change. A visit to various colleges in Baramati town was made and the message of Quiet India was communicated to nearly 3500 students. Anti-honking rally was held in Pune on October 2, 2007—inaugurated by the mayor of the city. Another rally followed on November 30, 2007 in Solapur. The campaign received extensive media coverage and an overwhelming response from all corners of the society. Recently, the Mumbai police has started re-enforcing the already existent law regarding unnecessary honking by heavily fining the offenders.

Concept:

A study of rickshaw drivers in Pune had revealed that nearly 1/3rd of them suffer from a loss of hearing to some degree or other—owing to the dreadful noise that they have to put up with.

The idea behind Quiet India Campaign is simple—Promote silence before all you hear is only silence! The initiative goes beyond discouraging people from unnecessary honking. It calls for a quieter way of living. It appeals people to respect other’s space, to be a bit more patient and disciplined while driving their vehicles or for that matter—while doing anything they choose to do.

Not too long ago, Vipul’s father would keep asking his driver to honk all the time. But ever since Vipul has come up with this campaign, the honking has reduced by nearly 80%! All it takes is a change of mindset!

Quit India was a movement to drive out the imperialists from our country. Quiet India is a campaign for driving out the noise and chaos from our minds and streets, which should be a lot easier.

Summary:

• No other country needs or suffers such noise pollution in its cities or villages.
• Noise not only causes irritation or annoyance but also constricts the arteries, and increases the flow of adrenaline and forces the heart to work faster.
• Continuous noise causes an increase in the cholesterol level resulting in permanent constriction of blood vessels, making one prone to heart attacks and strokes.
• Health experts are of the opinion that excessive noise can also lead to neurosis and nervous breakdown.
• Aggressive and habitual horn use DOES NOT limit accidents OR improve driving standards.
• HORN OK invites hazardous driving, It does not invite courtesy and common sense.
• Noise pollution and its control is central to our well being.
• Minimum use of horn will allow drivers to concentrate on driving—defensive driving, rather than unnecessary horn use and offensive driving.
  

How can you contribute for a Quieter India?

1. Start with yourself. Experience the joy of driving without making noise.
2. Print stickers, T-Shirts, cartoon strips, caps or any other merchandise that will make this message reach more and more people.
3. Hold rallies in your community.
4. Write about this issue in your local newspapers.
5. Spread the word among your network of friends and challenge them to stand up for a Quieter India!
6. Donate funds for future initiatives.

Quiet India Campaign--News Reports