mid-day editorial: Cut the noise and stick to the point

Days after singer Sonu Nigam kicked up a storm complaining about the use of loudspeakers to broadcast prayers and sermons like azaan, the controversy rages on. The immediate reactions cleaved the masses into two - while some slammed Sonu for targeting a certain religion, others lauded him for bravely voicing "a nagging issue".

The story, however, did not end there. Under duress, the singer offered to apologise at a point, saying he was a secular citizen of the country, but then he chose to stand by his controversial tweet, adding that he was not targeting any one religion. Not surprisingly, a fatwa followed and Sonu got his head tonsured in "response" to the Muslim cleric's demands. The drama continued as the cleric pointed out Sonu was yet to be garlanded with torn shoes and paraded across the country.

It seems the opportunity to have a stimulating debate about noise pollution caused by festivals and religious celebrations has been lost, only because Sonu veered from the point. The focus has shifted to the bets and challenges being thrown about by the warring parties. The moot point of the debate - noise pollution and its psychological effects has been lost.

Celebs, too, must think before they tweet. If they want to raise awareness on an issue, they should stick to the point. When Shobhaa De had tweet­ed about India's abysmal performance at the Olympics, she should have stuck to the point - why so few medals in a nation aspiring for multi-sporting greatness - instead of getting sarcastic for no reason.

Celebs have the power to ignite debates and discussion and they often power on despite the trolls that follow. Why not, then, tweet wisely and keep the focus on the main issue instead of drowning the debate in a cacophony of useless chatter and unneeded animosity?