A day after Ghulam Ali’s concert in Mumbai was called off following threats from the Shiv Sena, the Delhi government on Thursday invited the acclaimed Pakistani singer to perform in the national capital.
The organisers of the event announced the cancellation after meeting Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray late on Wednesday.
The decision was made despite a snub to the Shiv Sena by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had promised to provide protection to Ali so that the concert on October 9, organised in memory of late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, could be held.
Reacting to the development, the Delhi government invited the 75-year-old singer to perform in the national capital.
“We can have the concert in Delhi, I am sure it will be well received,” Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra said. “Music and art have no boundary, I feel that the freedom of people is being restricted a lot.”
The Pakistani ghazal maestro expressed sadness at the cancellation of his concert, saying he was especially disappointed as it was a tribute to Jagjit Singh, who was like a brother to him.
“I’m not angry, but I’m a bit hurt and sad. But there can be sad moments in love as well. I don’t know why such situations and conflicts arise. We have performed in Mumbai on several occasions before and people have always showered their love on us,” Ali said.
“The programme was important for me as it marked Jagjit’s death anniversary. And that’s why I got tense and thought that the move was wrong…Jagjit was like a brother to me and whenever I met him we looked like one, not from India or Pakistan.”
Ali said borders between countries cannot restrict music from streaming into the hearts of people. He also said he wants to spread love with his songs and his admiration for India remains undiminished.
“I would like to tell Indians to remain in ‘sur’, love each other and keep listening to us – be it live or recorded,” he said.
The Pakistan government too regretted the opposition by the Shiv Sena to Ali’s concert, saying Indian artists do not face such opposition when they visit Pakistan.
“Our position is very clear. We do encourage people-to-people contacts, we encourage our artists to visit both sides, visit each other and perform. Our policy is very constructive, very positive. Indian artists, when they go to Pakistan, they do not face such opposition,” Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit said.
