Event organisers have received threat calls indicating that hosting TM Krishna would mean denigrating Hindu religion and classical music legacy.
Bengaluru: Award-winning classical musician T.M. Krishna, who has in the past been attacked by Hindu groups for his views, is facing a new protest ahead of a planned concert in Mysuru.
The Mysuru event organisers have received threat calls and messages indicating that hosting Krishna would mean denigrating “Hindu dharma and Shastriya (classical) music legacy”.
Krishna is scheduled to hold a concert and music workshop on “Rare Krithis of Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar” on 22–23 November at Gana Bharathi in Mysuru’s Kuvempunagar area.
The organisers confirmed getting the threat calls to ThePrint, but insisted that they are planning to go ahead with the event.
“There is no need to bow down to the pressure by some random elements,” said Himamshu C.R., one of the organisers.
“We have got a few calls asking us to stop the event. We asked them to come before us and prove with documents as to why we should not hold the programme,” he said.
“If they don’t like the person we are hosting, let them not attend it. There is absolutely no need to make threatening calls,” he added.
The organisers have sought police intervention to ensure that the event is held without trouble.
Also read: TM Krishna promises 1 Allah, Jesus song a month after Hindu group attacks Carnatic singers
Past controversies
This isn’t the first time that a Krishna programme has faced threats from Hindu groups.
In August, a controversy broke out after Ramanathan Seetharaman, self-proclaimed founder of the Coimbatore-based Hindu group Rashtriya Sanathana Seva Sangam, targeted Krishna and vocalists O.S. Arun and Nithyashree Mahadevan, accusing them of promoting conversion through singing Christian hymns.
Krishna decided to take on the activists by announcing that he would release compositions on Allah and Jesus every month as music transcended all religions.
Soon after Krishna’s announcement in August, Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland, a prominent temple in the US, canceled his concert.
Mahadevan, however, apologised on social media saying that she had no intention to hurt the sentiments of “music rasikas (enthusiasts).”
“We faced a similar situation when Nithyashree came to perform in Mysuru during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations last month. We stood our ground and the event went off smoothly,” added Himamshu.
Also read: A week after hymn controversy, US temple cancels T.M. Krishna concert
Music transcends religions. Both Carnatic and Hindustani Shastriya music formed the basis of many film music directors to compose tunes which became popular. Naushad and Ilayaraja are two shining examples. Some bigots are out to place a spoke on the wheel that is universal.
Carnataic music is born from Hindus of India and its origin is in Hinduism, Indian music will be Indian. Can be adapted into any other form, but the original will always be understood as the original. Not as an amalgamated concoction presented as hip gyrating disco CarnaCircus.
Its indeed a sad situation for the Karnatic Music which is based on divinity, that efforts are made to make it as a normal music Who has gvn the authority to these self-styled exponents to define what is karnatic music and how it should be? Are they authorized to dictate what’s good and what is bad for the Karnatic Music lovers? Can those intelligent persons who are supporting Krishna make me understand whether karnatic music will be without the divine songs of the Great Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Saint Thyagaraja and the Pious Syama Sastri whose rendition invoke Bhakthi Bhava in those who hear their songs decorated in Pure Bhakthi.?(Not like the situation prevailing now a days where karnatic music is fully commercialized).. Why a divine and immense calm feeling sets in when one hears karnatic krithis which is absent when one hears light music? From the mindset that’s prevailing now, one can very well understand that making money is the only motive, not bothering about the basics of Bhakthi, without which karnatic music will definitely die a painful and slow death..
Carnatic music is not anyone’s private property. If someone doesn’t like TM Krishna singing songs, let them stay away from the concert. I don’t been listening to Carnatic music for the past 45 years. Each musician has a style of his or her own. TM Krishna has been making sincere efforts to take the music to the common man. What’s wrong with that? The right-wing should stop meddling in everything from food to music
Why are people so narrow minded as to mix music and religion? We accepted K.Yesudoss who has sung innumerable songs on Hindu deities. Why some people are objecting to TMK and Nithyasree and others singing Christian and Islamic songs. Such narrow minded people should hang their head in shame.
Dear Krishna,
The one who gave up his life to save others, surely won’t like what is happening in his name. He would rather prefer to be deaf! Leave it na. ..
God forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.
Krishna should have taken politics in full as career as his grand relatives were. Very sad that he mixes music and politics. He is a non vegetarian as I have read. He has absolute right.i don’t contest that. But he lacks the thing to talk about Dikshidar, an orthodox Amba upasakar, scholar, divine and one of Trimurtis of music.They were. Orthodox,, simple and meditating on God.Not on fed on fish as some do doing shastric music propagation by name. Sad, fishing in troubled music ocean.music is not politics. Both are different.
Yes.T.M..Krishna is basking in controversies.he must concentrate on his talents and Carnatic classical music.Today he has become like what Sashi Tharoor is in politics..A perverted intellectual
Perverted intellectual? Really? Standing up to what you believe in does not make you a perverted intellectual, it just makes you a strong headed person. On the other hand disrupting someone else’s life to promote your view point (Read RSS) is just pervertion if free thought and speech.
Why u get so heated up when the gentleman expressed his opinion? This is exactly opposite to what you yourself feels in yr comment that one shd be allowed to stand up to his opinion..
TMK is one of the few rational and sensible voices in the politico-musico-anthropological discourse.
Those who oppose him are born bastards.
T. M Krishnan is a genius in classical music. His inventions are appladable. He has not gone far from exiting carnatic mue, but finds newer and meritorious methods and ways for singing the Raga, srithi and melody.