Music everywhere - or is it just noise ?

The advancement of cell phones from mere talking devices to multimedia gadgets offering FMs, capacity to store music and video is being called technological advancement. Maybe true. But, of late I have come to detest it a lot. Get into a long distance bus and there you have co-passengers playing music aloud - some hindi, some english and some in their own mother tongues. Walk down a road, and you will come across atleast one in ten people playing music loud from their cell phones. The canteen has similar situations. Or then, there are people in the hostel (neighbours) who keep loud music at six in the morning or late into night or anytime in the day - sometimes there are two or three people playing different music at the same time, not to forget about them singing along and others who sing by themselves too. So, sometimes it is chaos. No, it cannot be compared to the fish market - for in the fish market one finds energy and rythm in all that din. One finds smiles and satisfaction in a sale.

People play music of their choice with least respect for their fellow beings. They do not give a thought about whether others will like the same kind of music. Speak to them about it and they call it freedom. Is this freedom? Then, what about your co-passengers right to silence. Two lines come to mind in this regard. One, 'Freedom without values and discipline is useless' and two 'My space stops where another's begins'.

There are only two ways out of this quagmire. One, for cell phone users to become responsible. Two, for cell phone companies to remove the option of speakers for music and videos. Hope one of the two will make it.