Javaid Naikoo
Srinagar, Sept 5 : The Kashmir civil society today said that Zubin Mehta's concert shall be used as a propaganda tool to hoodwink international opinion. Addressing a press conference, Khurram Parvez, a member of the organizing committee of `Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir', a parallel concert to be held at Municipal Park on September 7, said the civil society was not against the concert. "We oppose the modus operandi of the organizers," he said.
The members of Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir informed the media gathering that an estimated Rs. 100 crore are reportedly being spent on the concert and instead of inviting local people, students and other members of the society to the event, invitations have been sent to the people associated with corporate world of the country like Tatas and Birlas, film stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and sportsmen like Sachin Tendulkar etc. Parvez said that the people of the state have been blacklisted from attending the concert and a proposal to invite arround 230 Kashmiri students has also been shelved.
He said the out of 758 invitees ,only 102 are supposedly unaffiliated civilians of Jammu and Kashmir with no perceptible State connection, despite the fact that people of Jammu and Kashmir have historically cultivated a sublime cultural traditions and love for music. "However the way German embassy in collaboration with state administration has chosen to conduct a music concert is unacceptable and ill planned," he said. Hameeda Nayeem, another organizing member said the concert revolves round the politics of exclusion, where perceptions are being manipulated to give false impressions and added Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir will break this exclusion come what may.
The members said that the proposed parallel event on the same day by the team Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir will only cost rupees fifty thousand and the amount has been collected from the people associate with civil society of Kashmir and the event will include musical performances, poetry recitals, photography exhibits and other performance in art and the event will be open to the public. On Geelani's strike call on the day of concert, the members said that he (Geelani) has his own way of registering protest. Pertinently on Saturday, the Shalimar garden will host the India-born world famous conductor of Western classical music, Zubin Mehta and Bavarian State Orchestra, which are scheduled to visit Valley on Thursday with a fleet of scores of BMWs. As Mehta's proposed musical trip to the Kashmir is facing huge criticism from many corners, security has been beefed up across Kashmir. |
