archive: 'I'm hurt with whatever happened in Kargil'
'I'm hurt with whatever happened in Kargil'
Narendra Kusnur
Mid-Day
July 17, 1999
Title: 'I'm hurt with whatever happened in Kargil'
Author: Narendra Kusnur
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: July 17, 1999
Bhajan and ghazal singer Anup Jalota has called off the forthcoming
concerts he was scheduled to do in the US and Canada with Pakistani
ghazal exponent Ghulam Ali. "I am cancelled the shows which were to
take place from August 20," he told Mid-Day.
Jalota, who has recently released a T-Series ghazal album called
Kashish, said he had requested the organisers to arrange solo concerts
instead. "For the time being, I don't want to perform with any
musician from Pakistan," he added.
Over the past 10 years, Jalota has given many joint concerts with
Pakistani artistes in the US, Canada, England and even India.
Friendship, an album featuring him and Ghulam Ali, was released last
year.
"We must have done over 50 such shows. Besides Ghulam Ali, Mehdi
Hassan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, I have sung with Tahira Sayed and
Parvez Mehndi. But this won't happen this time. As for the future,
things will be possible only if relations become better," he said.
The singer said that even if artistes didn't visit Pakistan, their
music would always travel. "Our cassettes are in every home in
Pakistan. But we must not forget that what they did in Kargil is just
not acceptable. When we sent a bus with representatives of all
fields, we didn't know they were sending people to Kargil at the same
time, and stabbing us behind the back," he pointed out.
Jalota's decision symbolised the general mood of musicians, who felt
cultural relations should be cut off. Singer Hema Sardesai said India
didn't need any kind of relationship with Pakistan at the moment.
"Pakistan has behaved like a terrorist state. Enough is enough and
there's a limit to what we can tolerate," she asserted.
Similarly, singer Hariharan said: "There should be no joint ventures.
We have to respect our soldiers." According to him, nobody should
think of culture relations till a diplomatic solution was reached.
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