SRINAGAR: All is set for the Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir, a cultural and aesthetic tribute to the resilience and struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be held at the Municipal (Sher-i-Kashmir) Park here on Saturday.
The event being organized by various civil society groups and individuals is a rival concert, in protest to music maestro Zubin Mehta’s Ehsaas-e-Kashmir. The event will include musical performances, poetry recitals, photography exhibits and other performance art, and is open to the public, said chief organizer Khurram Pervez.
Organizers Thursday made it clear that they were not against the music, but against using music as propaganda machinery.
In a press conference at a local hotel here, the organizing committee of parallel event said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir take immense pride in their rich history of resisting oppression.
There is no opposition to music. The people of Kashmir have a rich tradition in music and art. The opposition is to an event that is clearly political, due to the involvement of governments, in an occupied place such as Kashmir, with an interest in portraying peace and normalcy, said Pervez.
The event will showcase the reality of Jammu and Kashmir, to mark the terrors of the military occupation and to celebrate the resilience of Kashmiris. This event is also financially and morally responsible, as only Rs. 50,000, all from private donations from the organizing committee itself, will be spent on the entire event, he said.
Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir (Reality of Kashmir) is both an act of resistance and celebration. The German Ambassadors interest, and possible attendance at the event, for which he has been invited, does not alter the protest in anyway, the organisers said.
We appeal all sections of Kashmiri society to join the Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir event to express their solidarity with the resilience and suffering of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
On Saturday, the Shalimar garden will host Zubin Mehta, maestro of Western classical music and Bavarian State Orchestra under unprecedented security cover. They will be playing musical notes in a German sponsored event called Ehsaas-e-Kashmir (Feeling for Kashmir).
Michael Steiner, German envoy to India tried to alleviate fears in his message to Kashmiri people on Thursday stressing that musical extravaganza in Srinagar was not aimed at providing an alternative to, but a mobiliser for more engagement in Kashmir.
This concert is for you, the Kashmiris. It is a German cultural event with the best of Europe’s musical tradition brought to you to pay tribute to the rich cultural tradition of Kashmir and its wonderful people.
Funded mainly by private benevolent sponsors the concert is purely cultural and does not alter the political position of Germany and the EU on Kashmir, Steiner said.
At the same time, this concert has the potential to make the world look at the complex realities of Kashmir: Its breathtaking beauty as well as the many challenges you, the Kashmiris, face in daily life. I am well aware of both, he said.
Pervez however said, the concert serves to build on the state narrative that seeks to dilute the reality of Jammu and Kashmir and peoples aspirations. It seeks to promote an image of a peaceful and normal Jammu and Kashmir. The pain, suffering, courage and bravery of the resistance will find no place in this concert. He said, on 26 August 2013, civil society members of Jammu and Kashmir registered a strong protest against the proposed concert and concerns were communicated to the German Embassy and the people of Germany from political representatives to artists and activists.
Further, the oppressive State apparatus has swung into action. The people of Shalimar, and indeed Srinagar, are under surveillance, and the invitees to the Zubin Mehta concert are verified by the intelligence agencies. Certain Kashmiri civilians have been blacklisted from attending the concert. Anti-national elements are not welcome to the concert. A proposal to invite 230 Kashmiri students has also been turned down by the State, he said.
Earlier organizers issued a statement which read: The people of Jammu and Kashmir take immense pride in our rich history of resisting oppression. We also have historically cultivated a sublime tradition in, and love for, music. Music which appeals to the higher values of love, justice, dignity, and peace; which genuinely acknowledges the long-suffering, yet bravely resisting, Kashmiris; and which is performed for the actual public is wholeheartedly welcome.
Pervez said, Our event is not limited only to music. There will be photography exhibits, paintings, poetry etc. The musical part of the programme will include Kashmiri and English music (which in turn will include rap and rock music).
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
