Miscued Doldrums; The Saga Revisited, The Feud Recreated

Sometimes the stubborn, that permeate a flock of rigid men, can be so strong in their misguided resolve that they can literally create havoc. Such is the case that has enveloped the, once silent, group of musicians in India. It is regrettable, that a few musicians, spearheaded by the likes of Abhijeet, Anup Jalota, Rajeswari and others, have resorted to manipulating national sentiments to further their own conceited agendas. Sadly, these rebels have come out looking worse than their hard-line politicians; for it is a deed unexpected of them. These Indian stars, though artistically gifted and vitally placed, have failed miserably in their moral duty to bridge differences through musical notes, especially in light of their recently abysmal attitudes.

Musicians in India and Pakistan have, historically, always denounced the stream of lofty political statements that flow back and forth daily between the two capitals. The devious and senseless vendettas that have sidelined the two nations into a verbal and military conflict for decades have always been condemned by the majority of people in both nations. Yet, this group of Indian singers is using the excuse of Pakistani musical influx in their country as a form of infringement on their national integrity. And though the reasoning is understandable, it is nonetheless deplorable in context of the kind of remedy these musical rebels seek.

In a nutshell, the Indian singers are demanding equal treatment of their musical artistes by Pakistani authorities, who have deliberately kept their gates closed to Indian acts for decades now. Agreed, this demand by the Indian artistes is fair. Pakistani authorities ought to give up their harsh posture and allow Indian musicians to publicly perform throughout the country. It will strengthen our parched and strained ties and take us a step closer towards mutual co-operation in various diverse fields. This doesn’t mean our main political disputes ought to be forgotten and allowed to fade away into oblivion. Instead, it simply means that sincere diplomatic efforts to sort our political differences need to be complemented by genuine co-operation in other fields, including music.

However, it is regrettably a step backward, when Indian musicians demand banning of all Pakistani artistes from entering their country. By showing unwarranted hostilities towards their Pakistani counterparts and resenting the status granted to them in India, these musicians have resorted to wrongful means of pleading their otherwise legitimate struggle. Furthermore, labeling people as unpatriotic for loving another musician’s composition or voice is grossly tragic and an insult to musical nobility. For music knows no boundaries; it is a universal language that weaves respect and harmony in all hearts. It integrates distant societies through chords that defy hatred and breed love.

To stir national sentiments against Pakistani singers and deprive them off their respect and livelihood is a ghastly sickening move and ought to be condemned. Two wrongs do not make a right, and as India’s own founding father once said, “[…] an eye for an eye will lead us all blind” (Gandhi). Hence, it is of paramount importance to refrain from inflicting undue harm on one other in our selfish and useless bids to get squared and even. Instead, the Indian singers ought to forge better relationships with their Pakistani counterparts and allow Pakistani musicians to fight for their case with their own authorities in Islamabad. Not only will this be a better avenue, but will also show resilience and patience on part of the Indians and will help their case. Pakistani musicians too will need to display more character and lobby vigorously for their Indian friends.

Pakistanis have also shown considerable tolerance and perseverance when confronted with India’s continued refusal to play cricket with Pakistan and even with the recently boycotted SAF games. If one government or the other engages in cheap propaganda and holds an entire musical industry hostage, then the onus lies on the lovers of peace, notably the musicians and the citizens, to rise to the occasion and wholly dismiss it. Reacting to politically motivated gibberish is playing into the hands of Indian and Pakistani politicians that use commoners as pawns in their grand and foul scheme of affairs.

It is about high time that cricket fans across India are treated to a blazing spectacle of fiery bowling by Shoaib Akhtar or to a package of fours and sixes galore by an inspired Inzamam. Similarly, the moment has arrived for music-lovers across Pakistan to be mesmerized by the beautiful voices of evergreen legends like Lata, Yesudas, Hariharan and other maestros live in concert. It is only through creation of ambitions can we strive to move forward towards translation of our common dreams of a peaceful South Asia. We the people of Pakistan and India need to break loose the shackles of resistance and stand up for what is truly right and not for what is wrongly made to sound right.