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'Ode to
peace' UN concert symbolized India's mission against terror: Envoy
Thursday, September 16, 2010 01:32:15 PM,
Ashok Easwaran, IANS
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Chicago:
The 'Ode to peace' concert performed by sarod maestro Ustad Amjad
Ali Khan at the United Nations ahead of the 9/11 anniversary was a
declaration of India's battle against terror, says Anupam Ray,
India's acting permanent representative to the United Nations.
"India has been one of the biggest victims of terror and the event
was a declaration of India's mission," Ray told IANS. By any
reckoning, Ray said the concert could be termed a spectacular
success. "There were 50 ambassadors, top UN officials and a
collection of prominent academics. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
sat through the whole performance."
Khan, who has been a tireless crusader for inter-cultural and
inter-religious harmony, was gratified by the audience response.
Khan said he began his recital with two compositions especially
dear to him - Mahatma Gandhi's favorite 'Vaishnava Janato' and
Rabindranath Tagore's 'Ekla chalo re'. The maestro was joined by
his two sons, Amaan and Ayaan.
"I told the audience that our family felt connected with every
soul, every nation and every religion. I said I felt saddened that
even in the 21st century the bloodiest conflicts were over
religion, and that education has not been able to create
compassion," Khan told IANS.
Ban Ki-moon said that it has never been more important to come
together against the forces which have brought about terrorism,
extremism and fundamentalism. "We have seen the devastating impact
of terrorism in Mumbai and Madrid, Nairobi and New York, London
and Lahore. We have seen the destabilizing effect of extremism in
Somalia and Iraq, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
These crimes against innocent women and men are also assaults on
our fundamental values - peace, tolerance, justice and human
rights. We must condemn them. But we must also work for a remedy.
We must work together to create a world where extremism is not an
option, where radicalization has no appeal," he said. The
Secretary General won the hearts of many when he began with "Namaskar,
kya hal chal hai ?"
Ray said that Khan's choice for the occasion was self evident.
"What could have been a better choice than Ustad Amjad Ali Khan ?"
he said, "Here is a person who is the very embodiment of
secularism - a Muslim who plays the sarod, and who is married to a
Hindu. It is only people like him who are the best answer to
extremism."
(Ashok Easwaran
can be contacted at ashok3185@yahoo.com)
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