12 Indians & Terror Stigma

By MOHAN SAHAY


The dust has just settled over the arrest of 12 Indians by the Dutch Authorities following the scare in the sky aboard North West Airlines. But it has left a bigger question before the world. The West is being accused of discrimination against Muslims who have become suspect in the eyes of the world save the Islamic countries.

The Muslims as a religious community across the world now carry the stigma of
Being supporters of the so called jehad ( holy war ) of Bin Laden variety. Not only that the growing perception is that the Muslims are lending tacit and logistic support to the perpetrators of violence against innocent people. This not wholly true. Neither it is a total lie.

To end this stigma – call it racial or religious bias of the West – the Muslims of the world must unite against the terror. This is easier said than done. The Muslims must see reason and raise their voice against terror as an act of sin against humanity.

The post 9 / 11 period has witnessed a studied silence of majority the Muslims across the world in condemning the attack on the New York World Trade Tower. True, the Americans might be held responsible for two wars against Iraq, the elimination of Talibans in Afghanistan. But the Americans can’t be accused of declaring war against terror and forming a loosely held coalition against terror of which both India and Pakistan are members.

If the Muslims have suffered in the latest conflict in Lebanon at the hands of Tel Aviv, the group responsible for the sufferings of the Lebanese is Hizboulah, the terrorist outfit of Lebanon.


Look at the Indian side of the story. We are fighting terror on our own ground for the past two decades. The perpetrators are mostly Pakistani or Pakistan trained terrorists of Kashmiri origin – all Muslims. It has been alleged by a few commentators and celebrities that India is guilty of bias, discrimination bordering to persecution of some Muslims who were or are being detained on the charges of facilitating violence and murder of innocent people in the country by conniving or / and acting as sleeping modules of the terrorist outfits having their base in Pakistan.

This writer is in full agreement with the observation that India should be thankful to the Dutch authorities for clearing the 12 Indians detained within 48 hours
of any link with terror. The Dutch government should be praised for transperancy and fair justice. If the 12 Indians were handcuffed and treated badly at the time of being whisked out of the plane, it is sheer logic of Police reaction when they detains people on prima facie charge of terror intent. Howsoever innocent the 12 Indians might have been, their conduct and body moement in the sky were sure to invite fear of some mischief and vioence in the air as some passengers suspected and informed the captain of the flight leading the high voltage drama.

Partly this is true that in India the Police and other government agencies lay their hands on some innocent people the Muslims included.This is because the policing in India is still colonial and the Muslims alone are not the victims of the Police excesses. Many Hindus were and are being detained and killed for no crime or offence since the Indian Police has become a force of criminals in uniform.
This monumental violation of human rights in India is all pervasive. But what prevents the Muslims from raising their voice with some courage of conviction in condemning the terrorists and the organizations like the Jaishe – e- Mohammad, the Lashkar-e- Tayba and even Al Qaida of Bin Laden.

Whenever there is attack on temple, on innocent people and there are incidents of Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and 2006, the saner voice of the Muslims are subdued since the vocal Muslims leaders enjoying clouts with politicians and the government find alibi to rationalize and even justify such terror attacks on India as backlash of the RSS and the Modi cauldron. Such approach is fraught with danger. Instead, the Muslims in India and world over should unite and raise their voice against terror which has been described a small number of Muslims Clerics as un- Islamic. For Islam teaches tolerance and forbearance and not senseless violence and killing of innocent people. Once this voice is heard from the followers of Islam, the stigma attached to the Muslims as a natural class of terror suspect would go.
ends

Bismillah Khan - Harbinger of Hindu - Muslim Shade

By MOHAN SAHAY


As in life as in death Bismillah Khan carries a far deeper social message for Indians in general and the Muslims of India in particular. He was a true Muslim. That Bismillah Khan was a musical wizard and that his ‘shehnai’ cast a spell on audience goes without saying. But his devotion to music, to his shehnai went well beyond concerts. His was a divine play of the instrument. This writer had only one occasion to listen to his live concert at Parliament House in New Delhi few years ago.

Without repeating what already has been said in newspaper columns and televised commentaries, I would confine myself to the maestro’s social message to India.

Music is an art that does not have any religious boundary. In Hindu philosophy, music is divine and is devoted to the Goddess Sarswati – the source of learning. Being a Muslims did not prevent Bismillah Khan from playing Shehnai at the door of Lord Vishwanath – Shiva, the presiding deity of the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varansi even while he was a young artiste. How many Muslims of India even those willing to offer respect and reverence to religion other than Islam can have the courage of conviction to emulate Bismillah Khan? Perhaps none today; or may be a few. Look at the unnecessary and avoidable row over a section of the Muslims refusing to sing the national song ' vande mataram....' which was part of the battle cry for freedom in India.

Soon after the bomb blasts at Sankat Mochasn temple in Varanasi sometime ago, Bismillah Khan had expressed his hurt feelings and recalled he had performed at the Hanuman temple of Sankat Mochan too.

In Varanasi, people not only revered but also held Bismillah Khan in high esteem cutting across the religious divide. It is the tradition of Varanasi’s musical ‘gharanas’ that produced many a great musician and vocalists whose gurus were Muslim.

When Bismillah Khan’s health began to deteriorate, he refused to be flown out of Varansi to Delhi for better medical care and treatment. It was Bismillah’s Khan’s conviction. The Hindus believe that if one dies in Varansi or still better Benaras as the music maestro fondly would call the city, he or she attains the moksha. This belief is not shared by the people of other faith. Even many among the Hindus dismiss such notion as archaic and highly irrational. Many Hindus rubbish such notion about Benaras that has the distinction of non-stop burning pyre at the ghat of the Ganga 24 x 7.


Bismillah Khan had expressed his feelings sometime ago in an interview that he would prefer to die in Benaras. “What a tragedy it would be if I die outside Benaras – the city I love and live in”, he had said. It was not because of Hindu faith, but it was his sheer love for the city and may be some shade of conviction of the piousness of the Ganga and Benaras that convinced him not to live the holy city when the end would come one day; even if that would have meant few extra breathes or may be few hours, days and months. He finally breathed his last and in peace at Benaras.

I noticed a very rich tribute paid by Hari Prasad Chaurasia – the flute maestro to Bismillah Khan in the Indian Express of Delhi today wherein Hari Prasad said that he never played a jugalbandi with Bismillah Khan for he stands nowhere near the Shehnai wizard whom he regarded as his Guru and an outstanding artiste. Hari Prasad recalled how he was asked to play jugalbandi with Bismillah Khan in a music concert which he declined and played first as a ‘shishya’ of Bismillah saheb.

On July 21, 2006 – the day Bismillah Khan died in Varanasi, Hari Prasad had to perform at a musical concert in Mumbai. He was first reluctant to play. But he gave in to the insistence of the organizers. Taking the stage Chaurasia did perform but devoted the concert to the memory of Bismillah Khan.
ends

Kishore Kumar - A Versatile Genius

Lovelorn Kishore

By MOHAN SAHAY

In rush to say or write something on some legendary figures, people at times present half-baked profile of the celebrity. This happened on August 4, 2006 when the nation paid tribute to a versatile genius of Hindi cinema –Kishore Kumar on his birth anniversary. Be it his songs, his contribution to films or his character majority of the writings on the singer in newspapers and commentators on television screen disappointed me.
No doubt, he was a lovelorn. Wonder how he did marry not one, two or three but four women that included Madhubala who lives as an icon of Indian beauty even after 35 years of her death like Marilyn Monroe an alluring beauty who continues to appear again and again in journals and on television screen. She had died in sleep committing suicide on August 5 1962.

Though an actor par excellence in his own stride, Kishore Kumar is remembered essentially as a singer. His songs of earlier days in films like, Naukri, Fantoosh, Nau Do Gyarah, Paying Guest, Dilli Ka Thag, Girl Friend, Naya Andaz, Shararat etc are haunting numbers. Before talking about Kishore’s numbers, I would like to throw some light on little known facts about the charismatic man.

After a lull in his career, Kishore sought into fame again and occupied top slot of the popularity chart in 1970s with the release of his songs of Aradhana , a Rajesh Khanna starrer. Sachin Dev Burman had composed music for the film. It was a coincident that with the arrival of Rajesh Khanna as a popular hero in 1970s, Kishore was the actor’s voice on screen. In his earlier days, Kihosre lent his voice to Dev Anand on screen. This is not a little known fact but a widely shared knowledge by music lovers and film buffs.

Many may not know that a film columnist writing the cover story for Filmfare in the 1970s had observed that Kishore Kumar …’ is an all time great playback singer and that he stood taller than Md. Rafi…’. This write up appeared immediately after runaway success of Kishore’s numbers of Aradhana.

In the next issue, there was a full page rejoinder in the film fortnightly – Filmfare that contested the columnist who rated Kishore as greater than Rafi. The rejoined went on to explain in detail how Md. Rafi was the greatest of all playback singers in the Hindi film world. Some facts cited by the mailer in his rejoinder reminded the columnist how ‘ Rafi Saheb was the only singer who has knowledge and who practice classical music. Rafi was the only singer who could sing at any scale of the musical notes…..’.

The rejoinder bore the signature of Kishore Kumar. The publisher of the magazine did not forget to add a photograph of Kishore in his rejoinder. That was the spirit and grace of the artiste. In all fairness it must be mentioned that all the leading male playback singers of the yesteryears – Md Rafi, Kishsore Kumar, Hemant Kumar , Mukesh, Manna Dey, Talat Memhmood and K.L.Sehgal occupied as unique position in the world of Hindi film music each having his own style and an in imitating voice of his own. We still await the birth of playback singers who could match the voice of the ‘magnificent seven’.

There was only one occasion when Kishore Kumar took the playback of Md Rafi in film Shararat. Rafi had lent his voice for Kishore on the screen in the song ‘’’azab hai dastaan teri aye zindagi….”. The lyricist was Hasrat Jaipuri and the music composed by Shanker Jaikishen.

I would not go in further details about Kishore Kumar in this article. Of many songs that he sang both on and off screen my choice of the best of Kishore’s 25 are the following. He poured his heart out in songs – ‘ mujhe tumse pyar kitna…’, ‘zindagi ka safar…’ and dukhi man mere You have to listen to the songs before passing judgment. Your comments are welcome.


Zindagi kaa safar hai ye kaisa safar…… Film SAFAR
Hamen tumse pyar kitna ke hum nahin jante…Film KUDRAT
Dukhi man mere sunmera kehna…………..Film FANTOOSH
Koi humdum na raha koi sahra na raha…...Film JHUMROO
Thandhi hawa ye chandani suhani…………Film JHUMROO
Hum hair rahi pyar ke hum se kooch na boliye.. Film Nau Do Gyarah
Mana janab ne pukara nahin…………………….Film PAYING GUEST
Hey nigahen mastana..duet with Asha…………….Film PAYING GUEST
Chhota sa ghar hoga badlkon ki chhaon mein…..Film NAUKARI
Ye raatein ye mausam nadi ka kinara..duet with Asha Film DILLI KA THAG
11. Mere mehboob kayamat hogi……..Film Mr. X IN BOMBAY
12. Tune mera dil liya…duet with Getta Dutt Film SHARARAT
13. Mere nindon mein tum mere khwabon mein tum..duet with Shamshad Begum Film NAYA ANDAZ
14. Kasti ka khamosh safar hai…with Sudha Malhotra Film Girl Firend
15. Mukho baar baar yaad na aa bewafa o bewa duet with Asha Bhosle Film RAGINI
16. Main bangali chhokra karun pyar ko namaskaram..duet with Asha Bhosle Film RAGINI
17. Ina mina dika……Film ASHA
18. Chhod do anchal jamana kyakahega…duet with Asha Bhosle Film PAYING GUEST.
19. C…A….T cat mane billi..duet with Asha Bhosle Film DILLI KA THAG
20. Ik ladki bhingi bhangi si….Film CHALTI KA NAAM GADI
21. Haye haye haye ye nigahen Film PAYING GUEST
22. Jeevan ke safar mein raahi… ( also rendered by Asha Bhosle ) Film MUNIMJI
23. Hum matwale nau jawan….Film SHARARAT
24. Chhoo kar mere man ko…. Film YARANA
25. Khush hai zamana aaj pehli tarikh hai… Non Filmy song


Ends

An Invite to Terror

By MOHAN SAHAY


By no stretch of imagination, the Indian Government is expected to allow its Central Ministers to conduct themselve in cavalier manner when faced with serious threat to our internal security from terror outfits operating in the country.

India’s home minister Shivraj Patil says that the government is in touch with ‘ terror modules’ operating in the country! If you go by Patil’s understanding of the threat perception obtaining in the country, the government and its agents know the ‘
Modules’ of the Lashkar-e- Tyba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahiddin etc..

If what Patils says is true, then the government instead of destroying the modules has come out in the defense of the links, or sleeping operators working from the Pakistan based terror groups in India.

If the Manmohan Singh government under the patronage of the Congress leader Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has ministers like Patil and Jaiswal ( Sre Prakash, Minister of State for Home ) in charge of the nation’s internal security, the government does not need any enemy for its self destruction.

Look what Jaiswal said immediately after the Mubai serial blasts in July- “ I am not aware of the fact that SIMI has been banned in the country…”. Jaswal’s response was to a question what the Centre was doing to tackle with the reported involvement of Students Islamic Movement of India or SIMI in the Mumbai blasts. That fact remains that SIMI is a banned organization and its activities have been declared unlawful.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh which has become a breeding ground of Pakistan modules not only defended SIMI but declared that SIMI is not involved in any anti- National activities. If not SIMI who Mr Yadav?



That the government has turned India into a soft state, the irresponsible manner in which New Delhi is handling the situation amounts to extending an invite to terrorists to operate in the country.

The modules operating for the terror groups particularly some Indians have links with big politicians including legislators in States, Members of Parliament and Ministers both in the Central Government and in the States.

There are pressure groups within the Congress Party to open dialogue with the terrorists present in India – dangerous proposition nonetheless. You can’t treat terrorists at par with militants in Nagaland, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. In search of peace the government has already dealt severe blow to the country’s internal security by pursing the goal with a kid glove.

What is the fun in holding talks with groups of people who are working as agents of the saboteurs and killers?

How come the DMK government in Tamil Nadu threw law of the land to the Arabian Sea to help Madani who is charged with carrying out bomb explosions and violence. The DMK is part of the government at the Centre as well having as many as 7 ministers in the UPA government of Dr Manmohan Singh.

The Indian Communists had gone two steps further by soliciting help and support of Madani in the state assembly elections held in Kerala with an eye on the Muslm votes.

Here again, the Communists are supporting the UPA government albeit from outside. But the conduct of the Indian communists in facing the regular onslaught of the Pakistan based terrorists outfits whether it is in Jammu & Kashmir or in the temple town of Varanasi or in Mumbai throws a bigger question if our politicians are serious about facing the undeclared war on India!

When House is divided and there are self-seekers and charlatans ruling the country, a day is not far off when the terrorists would again come knocking at our door – in Delhi, the capital of India.
Ends.

New Delhi
August 2, 2006