By: Kamal Baruah
In sport, there’s nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent and that’s the aim for him and Pat Cummins on the final-evedid it right for Australia, winning the Cricket World Cup 2023 crown from India’s soil, while 1.4 billion Indian saw an unforgettable tale of sorrows and heartbreaks. That was India’s only defeat in the cricketingextravaganza which came in the final. Despite the loss, 1.3 lakh fans dressed in blue had cheered for cricket. Oh, sound doesn’t matter for him. The only thing that matters is that Australia made another milestone.
However the critics go further, and say that Ahmedabad crowd has gone silent. If this was Wankhede, the stadium would have been charged, loud and intimidating to the opponent. But the intensity of sound waves inside the stadium erupts at 127 db. A citizen point of view on healthcare, a noise level chart showing sounds above 85 db are harmful, where we encounter loud sounds in our everyday life, while our ear has the remarkable ability to handle an enormous range of sound levels. Surprisingly, sound levels of a gunshot ora siren goes above 140 db. They are extremely loud, painful and dangerous and it could affectour eardrum rupture. Asound of firing gunshot from 303 rifles is so loud that one could be permanently damage hearing. This writer has to experience continue ringing in the ears from tinnitus symptom after a heavy firing practice at shooting range since his combatant days.
Over time, exposure to loud noise can damage hearing. Earplugs or earmuffs are necessary for aviation. A military jet at the time of take-off makes so much noise that becomes really tiresome and uncomfortable for aircrews at the tarmac. Service personnel travelling by MI helicopters or AN-32 transport must wear headsets to protect their hearing from the loud sound exposure. The inside cabin noise can be around 100 db. I’m also surprised to hear loudspeaker provocation by South Indian film fan followers in Tamil Nadu. Sound systems are generally legal as long as they do not impact the quiet environment of their individuals’ homes. Some people would say; it violates their religious rights too.
Despite all, we also make lot of unnecessary noise from blowing horn on the street to bursting firecracker during Diwali and other festivals. Sometime VIP culture of beacon lights and sirens of vehicles concerning emergency would hit around others vehicles on the road in panic as city roads failed to ease congestion most of the time. That loudness from PA system at cinema, festivals worried us. As the saying goes, organizers can disband the local administration and rule by diktat. Those noises raise stress on the road.
Street cricket of Sundays in Mumbai found it fascinating. The magic of cricket is woven all around India. The thrills of winning on the last ball of a cricket match are some of those heart-stopping moments of our childhood days. However, the noise support has significant impact in all playing conditions. People always support their local team. Be it Lord’s Cricket Ground or iconic Eden Garden, is a good way to eyewitness such sports extravaganza. Back at the heart of English football, the impact of the fans on EPL is absolutely enormous. Such deafening noise experience from a roaring crowd with blowing horns, vuvuzelas, trumpets and beats of drums can only be heard inside a stadium only.
It was another day of playing volleyball in Subroto Park, New Delhi, while our Signals Wing reached the final. Incidentally, I missed thelast match for persistent wrist pain. As substitute outside the court, we cheered for the win, sang the familiar volleyball chant yelling at opponent and even booed the referee as well against illegal ball handling over net violations. At the end of the ceremony, I got our Commander’s pat praising “You shout well” and also suggesting “You shalt not shout” again as he wished to make his Air Wing to win the trophy next time.
