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Rajiv Shukla

If Ghulam Ali keeps our soldiers protecting the nation's border happy, what right do Shiv Sainiks have to prevent him from singing in Bombay?

One must appreciate Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement condemning Shiv Sainiks for disrupting the musical concert of renowned Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali. I think Ghulam Ali as well as millions of his fans in India should forget the unfortunate episode to prevent further damage to the cultural bond between the two countries.

The most saddening behaviour was shown by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and his Chief Minister Manohar Joshi who, instead of pulling up their cadre for hooliganism, supported its action. Such actions are not pro-India or in any way patriotic. They cause more damage to the nation.

Ghulam Ali has been coming to this country for more than 25 years now. He is more known here than any other Indian artist. His ghazals can be heard everywhere -- right from the drawing rooms of posh houses to trucks, buses and taxies.

I first heard his famous ghazal Hungama hai kyon barpa, thodi si jo pee lee hai in a defence mess on the Pakistan border in Ladakh. There were Indian military officers listening to it with me that freezing winter night, at an altitude of 15,000 feet. If Ghulam Ali keeps our soldiers protecting the nation's border happy, what right do Shiv Sainiks have to prevent him from singing in Bombay?

Ghulam Ali has never spoken a word against India ever; he has concentrated only on his music. He has never been in controversies -- in fact, he once condemned the Pakistan government for not allowing Indian artistes to perform there. He is loved by most of the Hindu families in India. When he comes to Delhi, he stays with a patriotic Hindu family at Sainik Farms.

I had an opportunity to do a television interview with him. I found him a secular person, with no prejudices against India. Recently, I had visited Pakistan with my television crew to do special episodes, and right from the prime minister, everyone co-operated with us well. Now I apprehend that fundamentalist organisations in Pakistan may create trouble for Indians like the Shiv Sena just did.

Of late, bilateral visits of music artists, films stars, singers, television performers and journalists, have increased. Pakistani artists have voiced their feelings against the ban on their Indian counterparts. Nawaz Sharief has now relaxed the ban, resulting in the successful visits of Indian artists like Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Daler Mehendi to Pakistan recently. We need to encourage the trend instead of creating bitterness in the areas of music, film and cricket.

They gave a rousing reception to Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Daler Mehendi -- and we misbehaved with Ghulam Ali!

It is a fact that there has been hostility towards India in Pakistan because of many reasons, but India is always known for its large heartedness. We cannot stoop to the level of what certain Pakistani fundamentalists organisations do.

It is good that BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha also condemned the Shiv Sena for the unfortunate incident. It seems that Bal Thackeray is losing control over his cadre. I do not think that Shiv Sainiks would have taken his permission before disturbing the concert. His son Udhav did not even turn up there, though he was the chief guest.

What I presume is that the local leaders are becoming more independent and powerful. They all pretend to be mini-Thackerays and misuse the party forum for self interests. This is dangerous. Now another organisation, the Bajrang Dal, is also following in the Shiv Sena's footsteps.

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Rajiv Shukla