Incredible India Bringing peace to Kashmir via Germany Zafar Meraj At the very outset, let me confess that I am no opponent of music. I love music and miss no chance to listen to great voices of subcontinent from Ghulam Ahmad Sofi to Mohammad Abdullah Tibetbaqaal, Ghulam Fareed Maqbool Sabri to Shankar Shambhoo, Raj Begum to Haseena Akhter, Abida Parveen to Iqbal Bano and from Mohammad Rafi to Mehdi Hassan, Mukesh to Ghulam Ali and so on, including that great legend S D Burman’s immortal ‘Mairay Sajen Hain Ous Paar..’. In my college days I would spend whole night in listening to legendary Ama Sofi and even today I don’t mind waking up whole night to listen to present day singers who recite the immortal verses of great Kashmiri poets. And having said to, I am not the one who would oppose Zubin Mehta, world acclaimed music conductor to perform in Srinagar. We, Kashmiris, are proud to be great hosts and when it comes to art, culture and music, we always have been rather more generous in our hospitality. But the controversy begins when you mix art and music with politics. When a cultural event, that is for pure entertainment, is portrayed as something that would bring peace and that would further forge the bonds of Hindu-Muslim amity in this troubled place, the issue becomes controversial when you are holding the event in a conflict zone. Yes, Kashmir is and is not at peace for all these years. Peace, rather the silence of graveyard has been enforced in Kashmir for years now, with any kind of dissent totally not allowed. It is peace under the shadow of the gun and that gun has so far made thousands of people to eternal peace, under mounds of earth. This silence of graveyard, however, does not make Kashmir a peaceful place in literary terms. Whenever they find a chance, they have an occasion; people wake up and give voice to their suppressed sentiments. That has been happening in the valley and will continue to happen though every time, the ‘might’ will again enforce the ‘peace’ here. Those who have gone through Kashmir’s turbulent history, at least in last over six decades now (I am sure Zubin Mehta will not be aware about it) know it very well that peace in Kashmir is linked with issues that are purely political in nature. And if anyone thinks that musical concerts, operas, live bands and such other events will bring peace to Kashmir he definitely lives in a fool’s paradise and I don’t think either the German Ambassador in India or for that Zubin Mehta can fall in this category. So why are they trying to fool us and the world at large by relating the proposed music concert on the lawns of Shalimar garden with peace in Kashmir? For, peace in Kashmir essentially depends on some bold and daring steps that New Delhi has to take, sending an eloquent message to the people at large in Kashmir that their sentiments would be honoured, their wishes would not be ignored and their basic fundamental rights, right to liberty, right to freedom and free expression would be respected. India is a huge country, the country of great saints, rishis and munis, globally acclaimed for its great civilisation, dating back to thousands of years. It was Emperor Ashoka who preached peace, it was Lord Buddha who taught peace, it were the great rishis and walis who spread the message of peace not only in India rather Bharat, but across the globe. And for spreading the message of peace the legendary personalities did not have to hire any musician. What a tragedy, it seems our Bharat has turned bankrupt (Kangaal) to the extent that for bringing peace to a small place (area and population wise), it has to plead today with foreigners with a kashkoul in its hands. Have all other ideas of peace in Kashmir dried up. And then what is so special in Zubin Mehta’s concert that ‘nationalists’ from Jammu to Kanyakumari have joined hands and raising voices in his defence on the ground that he will bring peace to Kashmir. I don’t think more than 2 percent of Kashmir’s population and more than 10 percent of the selected audience that will listen to his concert will understand what he is talking about, and remaining 98% of Kashmir’s population, cannot even properly pronounce the names like Beethoven, Haydn and Tchaikovsky not to speak of understanding the rhythm and verses, that his one hundred strong orchestra will be playing, and for whom he is supposed to be coming with the message of that so-called peace. Incredible India, is it not? Coming to other point raised by Zubin Mehta that his proposed concert will further forge and strengthen the bonds of amity between Hindus and Muslims of the state. Again, it seems that Zubin Mehta is completely ignorant about the history and ethos of the people of Kashmir. Admitted that in early 90s a strong flood hit the valley and took away with it many of our values and heritage. Admitted that the flood that we witnessed created a wedge between the two communities here and which was really shameful. Muslims in Kashmir have so many times regretted whatever happened during those flash floods and most of the members of other community duly acknowledged the same. What else they could do when they too watched the flood waters passing through the valley, helplessly. A Cheem Nama, (sorry for this howler but it was necessary), definitely not. The two communities are presently living peacefully as earlier. See the Muslim crowds at Pandit weddings in Jammu and Pandit guests at Muslim weddings in Kashmir. Watch the scenes of love and amity at Kheer Bhawani and other shrines and also note the number of Pandits, living here or outside, paying their respects at Muslim shrines and you will find those age old binds of amity are again there. If Zubin Mehta sincerely and honestly believes that his concert can bring peace in a conflict zone then his presence is wanted more in Syria, Egypt, Iraq that are burning and that urgently deserve peace. And if Zubin Mehta’s concert can forge bonds of communal amity, then he please take his musicians to Pakistan where Shia-Sunni clashes have taken an ugly turn or Afghanistan where Taliban have created havoc. Let him go to communally ‘hot’ states like Gujarat and UP or Sri Lanka for forging peace between rival ethnic groups. However, if this is not the case, then Zubin Mehta should admit that his concert is just a cultural event, an entertainment show.. After all we have hosted so may concerts, musical concerts and other cultural events, both domestic and international in the past. Let Zubin Mehta also perform at the lawns of Shalimar garden before his selected audience, which, he however should know that the ‘respectable guests’, elites from Indian metropolitan cities and noted film personalities would be outnumbering the ‘ghareeb Kashmiri’. P. S. “Renowned orchestra composer Zubin Mehta is working on plans to hold a concert in Kashmir, and the music is aimed to bring Jews and Muslims closer in the region. “This is a part of efforts by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which has earlier held peace concerts to bring together Jews and Muslims,” the Mumbai born musician said”. (lite.epaper.timesofindia/getpage.aspx?...Zubin+Mehta+plans+concer...? Jan 1, 2013)
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 02:28:55 +0000
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