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At last: Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali performs in India despite Shiv Sena protests last year

At last: Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali performs in India despite Shiv Sena protests last year

An earlier concert in Mumbai was cancelled after threats by Shiv Sena
13 Jan, 2016

Are there clear skies ahead for Pakistani artistes visiting India? Legendary ghazal singer Ghulam Ali was finally able to perform in Kolkata after his earlier concert was cancelled in Mumbai last year due to security threats, reported IANS

The maestro expressed his gratitude and happiness at the beginning of the concert: "I am very happy today. I have been coming to Kolkata for 30 to 35 years. But this time it feels like I have come back after 50 years. I was so sad and today my sadness ends."

He also lauded the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as he performed with his son Aamir at Netaji Indoor Stadium. He refered to Banerjee as Saraswati who is the Hindu goddess of wisdom and music: “I am grateful to her. She has done us a favour in the form of Saraswati."

The minister welcomed the singer by gifting him a shawl and scarf and also requested Ghulam Ali to revisit Kolkata. He has previously performed in the city in 1981.

He also gave a humble response about his own skill of singing as he was taught by Baray Ghulam sahab: “Gana wana mujhe nahi aata (I don’t know how to sing). I only know how to listen,” he said.

He added: “I used to be after them [to learn]."

Ghulam Ali's concerts in Mumbai and Delhi were cancelled in 2015 due to threats from Shiv Sena, a Hindu extremist party in Maharashtra. The singer, who had then vowed to not perform in India until Pak-India relations improved, had confirmed his participation in the upcoming concert, organised by West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (WBMDFC) at the Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata.

Comments

SHAH Jan 13, 2016 02:14pm
These are the peoples with radical thoughts in both the countries and they do not want to see India and Pakistan a peaceful countries.
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Ahmed USA Jan 13, 2016 02:19pm
Perseverance wins... Haters lost big time...
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Krish Jan 13, 2016 03:02pm
Excellent. Shiv sena is nobody in India. Even in Maharashtra their main base they have lost very badly. But it is all destructive forces that are given maximum attention. Even a drop of poison in bucketful of milk will poison the whole milk. Shiv sena is like that.
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