I was really dismayed on reading this article. Jagjit Singh is adored by fans in Pakistan, along with Asha jee and Lata jee. Surely not inviting them does not decrease their stature. Everyone would love to see them sing here; its the politicians on both sides who create rifts. Believe me, if all matters were to be solved, how would the army justify their exbortitant defence expenditures which by the way are siphoned off into their personal accounts.
I agree with Jagjit Singh and Abhijeet. Besides this many Pak visitors come to India to meet their relatives in India, whereas the Hindus can never visit Pakistan. They will be scrutinized and harassed.
These singers are behaving absolutely deplorably. They are attempting to promote discord, hatred and mistrust between the people of the two countries, when art is meant to a medium to bring people of different communities together and unite them in their common bond of humanity.
I am shocked that people from a country which beats the drum of being the world's 'biggest democracy' are so driven by hatred for their neighbours that they will use any shallow pretense to fan the flames of negative feeling towards Pakistan. Perhaps certain individuals would be less willing to get on their high-horses if they were able to view the facts of the Kashmir issue free from the propoganda that they are fed incessently by their brahmin block media and stooges like Jagjit Singh and Abhijeet.
First of all, the LOC is a temporary ceasefire line, not a border. Therefore the absurd concept of cross-border terrorism is completely inaccurate. Secondly, a UN resolution was passed unanioumsly in 1951-never repealed by any other resolution- and which was signed by the Governments of Pakistan and India states 'the question of the accession of Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided by the democratic method of free and impartial plebicite" i.e. Kashmiris will decide their own destiny through a UN mandated referrendum. India refusues to allow this happen, while Pakistan is exerting every possible effort to try to make this occur.
Furthermore the world-reknowned human rights organistation Amnesty international confirms that 70,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been butchered by an Indian army presence of 700,000. Gang-rape of women, including that of a Muslim bride on her wedding, burning of Kashmiri homes and other forms of brutality and oppression are used by the Indian government to suppress the desire of the masses to live free of oppression and have the right to self-determination. India is the only 'democracy' to have banned the international red cross from any part of the world.
Kashmiri freedom-fighters are defending themselves against repression and torture and reserve the right to do so, provided that they distinguish between innocents and occupying forces. If they fail to do so then that is to be condemned, although State terrorism by the Indian armed forces manifests itself in more ugly ways, and might hide behind false accusations geared towards the freedom-fighters, to cover-up it's own evil actions.
You are welcome to assume that this is pakistani propoganda, but please do browse the pages of Amnesty international reports on Kahmir and account for why the Red Cross have been banned AND above all, why the Indian government is scared of letting Jammu Kahmiris decide if they want to remain with India as per the reffurendum? Are they clearly not scared that doing this would lead to Kashmiris massively rejecting Indian oppression and opting for independence or unification with Pakistan?
These hard-to-swallow facts might still be rejected by zealous Anti-Pakistan Indians as propoganda, but at least this much has to be acknowledged that the Kashmir issue is not as black and white and uncomplicated as these ignorant singers, cricketers and politicians would like it to be and thus the pathetic attempts at capitalising on this issue and pandering to popular Indian sentiment in order to win over the fans that couldn't be won over by talent alone, are sickening and deeply disturbinf to any rational and peaceful human being.
I should add here, that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a legend across the world before he had anything to do with India and if any Pakistani singers have made 'money' in India it is on the strength of their own talent-Indian music has been enriched beyond measure by Pakistani artists, and if Indians have bought albums and gone to concerts by these artistes, they have done no favour to anyone-they have only entertained themselves.
I believe that the policies of the Indian governmnet in Kashmir are sickening, yet Indian artists and sportsman have nothing to do with that unless they start interfering and pulling stunts like this. If they do, then they will be off my shopping list. If they don't, I will continue to enjoy good music whatever it's source.
I pray to the Lord Most High, that he gives people the maturity to appreciate art regardless of politics or narrow nationalistic sentiment.Amen. People should learn to be human first, and Indian or Pakistani only later.
this is not a good decision by jagjit & abhijeet. if the pakistani singers have good talent, automatically they will get many fans throughout the world and also they can earn money. it is not the matter that indian singers cannot able to sing in pakistan. jagjit and abhijeet, for your information -"good artists are accepted by their talents, not by the name of their home country". shame on u (j&a)...
It is so sad that these two popular singers would take a step like this. Music is a universal language and they shouldn't include politics in it. I'm not surprise about Abhijeet, but I am totally shocked about Jagjit Singh joining him in the protest. If Pakistan is banning Indian singers, why should we copy them. This just tells us what kind of a people they are.
India is more mature country compared to Paks regime, constitution, people or its society. Pak constitution and foundation is based on Islam. Where as India in represent true democracy with multi-religious in its characteristics. What Pakistani Govt. does to our people from India over there, it is their sick attitude. It is same if we reply sick with sick attitude. Then what's the difference between them and us? No doubt we are more tolerant. We Indians even praise good qualities of enemies and that is greatness of our society. What Abhejeet and Jagjit are doing is nothing more than their personal ECONOMIC benefits. Try to calculate the benefit they are going to earn. Abhejeet is trying to give a POLITICAL color to entire scene when election politics is gearing up. To oppose this there should be some other decent way. I strongly oppose this sick attitude of Abheejit and Jagjit. I am great fan of Jagjit, please do not do this, you are beyond of all these. We Indian respect talent, it may be from anywhere. That's our greatness.
