Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar told a Pakistani gathering in no uncertain terms that Indians haven’t forgotten the 26/11 attacks and that the handlers were still roaming free in that country.
Akhtar and a few more Indians were in Pakistan to attend the seventh Faiz Festival organised in memory of renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The lyricist was responding to an audience member who was suggesting how Pakistan is “a positive, friendly and loving country”.
The audience member requested Akhtar to carry their message to India: “You have visited Pakistan many times…When you go back do you tell your people that these are good people, they aren’t just bombing us but also greeting us with garlands and love?”
She further added, “(We) want a friendly situation between the two regions.”
Sensing India being blamed, the poet replied saying: “Let us not blame each other. That won’t solve issues. Jo garam hai fiza, woh kam honi chahiye. Hum to Bambaiye log hain. Hamne dekha wahan kaise hamla hua tha. Wo log Norway se toh nahi aaye the naa Egypt se aaye the, wo log abhi bhi aapke mulk me ghum rahe hain. Toh ye shikayat agar Hindustani ke dil me ho toh aapko bura nahi manna chahiye. (The atmosphere needs to cool down. I am from Bombay and all of us witnessed the attack on Bombay. The attackers weren’t from Norway, or from Egypt. They are still present in your country, so you should not be offended if an Indian complains about this).”
Underlying the divide between the two countries, Akhtar said there was lack of awareness about cultural similarities between both countries and not many people across the border know about each other’s cultures.
India has hosted Pakistani greats such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, Faiz Ahmed Faiz but Pakistan never had a Lata Mangeshkar show, he said.
“Not many know that Lahore and Amristar are only separated by 30 kilometres… you do not know everything about us, nor do we and this lack of knowledge is hurting both countries. It is sad that there isn’t more cultural exchanges, student exchanges or communication.
“Mehdi Hassan was a cult figure in India. When he visited India, Shabana (Azmi) hosted it, I wrote for the event which was graced by the likes of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. When Faiz Sahab visited, it seemed like an authority was visiting…it was broadcast all over. Have you ever seen Sahir (Ludhianvi), Kaifi (Azmi) or (Ali) Sardar Jafri’s interviews on PTV? It was shown in India, it happened there… So the communication blockade is from both sides and perhaps more from your side.”
Akhtar also talked about the need for regional unity and shared history and expressed his sadness that there is “competition going on” in India and Pakistan to ban and boycott words. He added that these behaviours only make a language poorer.
The festival also featured foreign delegates from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, representing their artistic, literary, and musical endeavours. The three-day gathering features more than 60 activities, such as theatrical productions, dance shows, literary readings, Qawwali performances, and much more.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)