For whom will he perform? For those who have nothing to feel so excited about COMMENT ‘This concert is for the people of Kashmir. Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky, played by a world acclaimed maestro and one of the best orchestras of the world in one of the most enchanting places in the world. This is a wonderful cultural tribute to Kashmir and its warm-headed and hospitable people. Music is a universal language. With the magical power of music, crossing the geographical, political and cultural borders, we want to reach the hearts of Kashmiris with a message of hope and encouragement’. Michael Steiner, German ambassador in India According to German embassy in New Delhi the event named ‘The Kashmir Concert – Ehsaas-e-Kashmir’ is organized by the German Embassy and supported by the competent authorities both at Central as well as state level. And the costs of the concert are covered by ‘benevolent sponsors mainly from the business world in India and Germany, Incredible India and German Foreign Office’. With Delhi and Srinagar so closely blended with the concert even a naïve can foresee the implications,political and diplomatic and the gains Delhi aims to derive from the Zubinshow. On the face of it, thereis nothing wrong in holding an international event, cultural, sports, art or diplomatic nature in Kashmir but Kashmir being a world-recognized dispute via various Security Council resolutions the world body passed from time to time and in light of Tashkand declaration, Simla agreement and Lahore declaration, such an event is unambiguously politically motivated. Conscious of the very fact the world to large extent has so far avoided in being part of any event that can give edge to India’s stand on Kashmir. So while in the rest of Indian states we see inter national events in football, hockey, cricket, badminton taking place regularly, even book festivals are opened and musical concerts conducted, Kashmir remains frigid. Not because we lacked stadia or ground facilities, the fact is the difficulties New Delhi faces in veering world to its stand on Kashmir. Second, more importantly, the people of Kashmir have always registered their protest and anger on such attempts. (Remember the contest between Team India under the captainship of Kapil Dev and West Indies in Srinagar Stadium in 1993). Also you cannot stuff venues with Biharees or forces personnel in civees to peddle your territorial sovereignty. An unreconciling populace having inherent genes in resistance and struggling for just cause knows how to express its simmering lava of discontent as it did in 1993 Cricket Contest. After all, why should an innocuous, seemingly a political, demand for drinking water, or removal of pay anomalies transform into a spontaneous demand for Hum Kya Chehtay…? Since 1947 New Delhi has systematically used sports, art, film industry, channels and culture as an instrument to build its narrative aboutJ&K and portray ‘normalcy’ and ‘peace’ to the international community and other stake holders. The opposition to Zubin Mehta’s musical concert from pro-resistance leadership, vibrant Kashmir civil society and people of Kashmir has to be looked from that perspective. Mindful of the Delhi’s endeavors in legitimizing its rule through this concert, scheduled for 7th September at the picturesque Shalimar Garden, the Kashmir Civil Society decided to organize a cultural programme named ‘Haqeet-e-Kashmir’ (reality of Kashmir) at Municipal Park, Lal Chowk at 12 P.M few hours ahead of Zubin’s show. ‘The aim is, as the society says, ‘to let people from the valley and outside understand through art the reality of resilience and ongoing struggle in Kashmir before Germany and Mehta pretend to emphasize with Kashmiris through the concert. How can one empathize or sympathize with Kashmiris when he doesn’t know the reality of Kashmir’. Already a malicious propaganda is on by the Indian news channels to smear Kashmiris and cast them in the mould of extremists.KCS has done well to take the propagandists head on by holding a parallel musical concert. Michael Steiner claims the concert is ‘for the people’ and ‘it is a wonderful cultural tribute to Kashmir’. We ask, how many ‘people’ from Kashmir will be there at Shalimar to get enchanted from this Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky? The demographics of audience in the 7th September concert will tell us that ‘1500 invitees’ will squeeze every inch of space for VVIPs and VIPs associated with Darbar. Tributefor what? For the resilience of Kashmiris or for their subjugation? For their resistance or for their brutalization? The very support Zubin show gets from Delhi and her business tycoons reveals the very stinking intent. Yes ‘music is a universal language’ and it has its ‘magic power’. But for whom Zubin is singing. For those who are rotting behind the bars under the draconian PSA or for those who are doped by AFSPA to get away with the atrocities? For those who are denied fundamental right of freedom of expression and assembly or for those who rule through pellet guns, pepper gases and curfews and imposition of CrPC 144? What ‘hope’ and ‘encouragement’ is there for the parents of 120 youngsters whose killers are yet to be dragged to the court of law? For those who have served more than 20 years jail term and are yet to be released? Mr. Michael Steiner, you may be captivated by the mesmerizing landscape of valley but if you had listened from the heart beats of majority people of this ‘beautiful prison’, you would have preferred to be part of a dominant Kashmir discourse in conflict with the state-projected narrative, and in true sense ‘empathized’with victims rather than perpetrators. By the way, do tortured, tormented, terrorized, traumatized people, who have swathes of unmarked/marked graves and many enforced death and rapes to rememberneed to be mourned at and showered solidarity to, or, their agonies and plights celebrated and danced at?
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 02:02:19 +0000
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