Khan saab dedicated piece of his music at Saptak Day 10 to victim of capital’s rape case
“No action, hollow words and on-going discussions centred around the victim of Delhi rape case pain me,” said Sarod wizard Amjad Ali Khan – recipient of country’s second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan. Khan saab performed in the fourth session of the on-going 13-day classical music festival Saptak on Day 10.
Moved by agony of the rape victim and on-going processions and protests in Delhi to support her, Khan saab said, “I dedicate my music at this internationally acclaimed festival to the victim of Delhi rape case. I want to raise the issue that we say we worship our women but in real world more and more mothers are made homeless, young women are tortured and assaulted. At the same time, our judiciary and political system sits hand folded discussing the significance of evidences. As an ordinary citizen, I feel ashamed and urge that prompt action is must and culprits must be hanged.”
Commenting on Pt Ravi Shakar, he said that Dadaji (Raviji) was the most successful and fortunate soul who gave life in creating respect and identity for Hindustani classical music like Mahatma Gandhi who gave life to uphold identity and character of India. “But today, we are losing traditional values and basic humane virtues like compassion, non-violence and truth – which is sad. Cultural onslaught is altering the basic fabric of society. Dire need of the hour is to preserve cultural flavour and heritage of our country. By instilling love for classical music in our children, we may be able to arrest this on-going erosion of our culture, identity and heritage.” Khan saaab shares a special affinity with Pandit Ravi Shankarji as they both belonged to Gwalior and have same great guru Ut Mohammed Vazir Khan Saheb – who belonged to Tansen family. Vazirji was guru to both Hafiz Ali Khan (father and guru of Amjadji) and Ut Allaudin Khan Saab (first father-in-law and guru of Pt Raviji).
Khan saab, who has shared his experience in classical music in classes across the West, currently teaches for a quarter (three months) at Stanford University a course on Indian Classical Music – A Way of Life, said, “I wish sound reined the world and not words. As with the use of words, people manipulate, lie and hide their real self. With sounds, you can never lie. And hence I offer tribute to that unfortunate soul who died at a very young age facing heinous crime.”
Amjadji is sixth generation musician of Bangash lineage and his family has invented the sarod. He has documented history of progression of Indian classical music in his recent book My Father – Our Fraternity. Amjadji said, “Elsewhere in world, music is fine art and entertainment, while for us, music is a prayer. And a spiritual quality of music is evident in the fact that all religions of the world need music to worship God. Music can create compassion and kindness and positivity which religions of the world have failed to do. By offering a musical tribute to the Delhi rape case victim today, I urge for prompt action on this matter,” he said.
