Soundscape Politics in Mumbai

In Mumbai, activists have focused their efforts on combating “noise pollution.” The sounds these activists designate most often as “pollutants” include those produced within the context of religious and political functions in public spaces, making “noise pollution” a highly contested subject in Mumbai’s civic discourse. This lecture will begin to explore the role of sound and audibility in issues of politics, communalism, regulation of public health, and management of urban space in Mumbai.