The news that authorities in Gurgaon have asked organisers of an Atif Aslam concert to defer the event is disturbing. Aslam is a Pakistan-born singer popular in India thanks to the many hit songs he’s delivered in Bollywood. The administration’s diktat in the garb of an advisory came just after members of a rightwing group handed a letter to the Gurgaon deputy commissioner in which it said the district administration would be responsible for any damages the event would cause. The authorities, instead of ignoring the ‘threat’, decided to give in to the pressure and advised the organisers to postpone the programme considering the “sentiments of the soldiers at the frontier”.

In February, the Shiv Sena said it would disrupt a concert in Lucknow by the legendary Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali, calling the event a case of Muslim appeasement by the Samajwadi Party. Just a year ago, another Ghulam Ali concert was called off due to Sena protests.

This is condemnable. The Gurgaon police is echoing the jingoistic sentiments of rightwing elements. The authorities must know that art knows no boundaries; it’s the best form of diplomacy humanity has invented. By deciding to hum to the tune of xenophobic forces, the Gurgaon authorities have failed the spirit of harmony India is renowned for. This is the ideal time to hold the concert. When the borders are tense, we must not lose a chance to say that we differentiate politics from people.

Hence, the gesture of Kerala government which invited Ali to the State last year for a performance, in response to Shiv Sena’s actions. The Gurgaon authorities should have followed this example. There could be law and order issues in allowing such a concert to take place. But the authorities should have taken a strong stance against jingoistic elements and set a precedent.

Deputy Editor

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