‘This concert will present a misleading picture of Kashmir to the World’ Riyaz Wani, asks senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani why he is opposing Zubin Mehta’s concert and how it would present a misleading picture of Kashmir to the world. [[33910665841]] Why are you opposing the concert? We think any international activity in Kashmir will affect the disputed status of Kashmir, which is something that is recognised by the entire world except India. Kashmir is not a part of India like any other state. We are not against Zubin Mehta or the music, but we think this concert will present a misleading picture of Kashmir to the world. This place has witnessed around one lakh deaths over the past 25 years. The European Union refers to Kashmir as the world’s most beautiful prison. A musical event will tell the world that there is nothing wrong with this place. Rather than lending a healing touch to Kashmir, the concert will end up hiding our tragedy from the world. But German ambassador Michael Steiner has himself said that it is apolitical? There is nothing apolitical. Everything plays into politics. Even if German ambassador says so, New Delhi will sell the event as yet another proof of normalcy in Kashmir. The event will be broadcast live to many countries in the world and we don’t want a wrong message to go to the world. Instead, we would prefer the world to know the brutalisation that this place has undergone over more than two decades. The concert would have made Kashmir centre of world attention and in turn also highlighted Kashmir’s problems? This is not the attention that we want. We respect Zubin Mehta’s wish to perform in Kashmir. But we don’t want his music to unwittingly serve a political agenda. It will only be government functionaries and security personnel who will attend his concert and common Kashmiris who are groaning under the world’s largest concentration of security forces will have nothing to do with it. If the concert still goes ahead what will you do? We will condemn it. It will be held in defiance of our aspirations. Zubin Mehta will be used as a tool by the state and central government to convey a feel-good image of Kashmir which will be contrary to reality. It has been Zubin Mehta’s desire to perform in Kashmir. What else do you want him to do for Kashmir if not hold a concert? We appreciate his concern and love for Kashmir. But we can’t help it if his concert somehow dilutes our struggle which has been nurtured with blood of thousands of our people. We wish he could highlight this fact of Kashmir’s life and not become a tool to obscure it.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 10:51:27 +0000
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