INDONESIA

Controversial German Concert in Indian-Kashmir

"An international music concert was held in Indian administered Kashmir last week. But separatists and human rights activists demanded that the performance be called off."

At Shalimar garden on the banks of Dal Lake, some 2,000 people gather to listen to a group of musicians play a fusion of European classical and Kashmiri folk tunes.

The concert called “The Feel of Kashmir” – it’s organised by the German embassy in India in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir government.

German Ambassador to India, Michael Steiner, says this is Germany’s cultural tribute to Kashmir.

“The distance between Munich and Srinagar is 7076 Kilometers. Tonight music reduces this distance to zero. German and European cultural heritage bows to Kashmir, to its heritage, its beauty, its difficult reality and journey.”

The concert featured Germany’s oldest music group, the Bavarian State Orchestra, and was conducted by internationally acclaimed music maestro Zubin Mehta.

For Mehta, it was a dream comes true.

“I have waited and dreamt of this moment practically all my life,” he said, “and every person on the subcontinent will agree with me that this is where it should be.”

This is the first time a cultural event of this scale has been held in Kashmir.

So Mehta is a little upset with the controversy surrounding the concert.

“Let’s be honest ladies and gentlemen, by coming here with this great orchestra and the wonderful soloists that will perform for you this evening, there are those who we have hurt inadvertently because we only want to do good. But the minute the music starts a very positive wave goes across from this stage to all of Kashmir to all our friends, to all our critics and God bless them all.”

Indian troops were deployed in the city to secure the event as it went ahead despite demands by Kashmiri separatists to cancel the event.

They said that India was using the concert to divert world attention from the ongoing conflict in Kashmir.

“As far as Kashmiri culture, heritage and fine art is concerned, we are all proud of them and nobody is against any such event which is aimed at promoting these things,” says Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference - a forum representing several separatist groups.

“But when there is a hidden political agenda because the government of India and state government in Kashmir are trying to give the impression that everything is normal in Kashmir while the fact remains that there are killings happening every day.”

Kashmir, claimed by both India and Pakistan, has experienced an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989.

Tens of thousands of people, mainly civilians, have died.

The separatists had appealed to the German government to call off the event.

“If the German government was really interested in doing something for the people of Kashmir they could have come forward and contributed in healthcare, education even do something  for the dying  Dal Lake which is part of our heritage,” says Farooq.

But the German Ambassador insisted that it was a purely cultural event.

The separatists then called for a shutdown on the day the event was scheduled to take place.

Some other local groups opposing the concert chose to protest by holding a parallel concert a few kilometres away.

The concert was called “The Reality of Kashmir” and had local artists performing music, theatre and poetry reflecting the suffering of Kashmiri people due to the ongoing conflict.

“We have to register our protest and resistance against all those moves that are trying to tell you that Kashmir issue is dead and gone and Kashmiris have actually surrendered and have now accepted Indian domination over them,” says Hameeda Naeem, one of the organisers.

While the two concerts were in progress four people lost their lives in a shootout in the city – a grim reminder how fragile the peace is in Kashmir.

At the German-sponsored concert, Chief Minister Umar Abdullah is fully aware of the situation on the ground but he insists that they deserve a musical break.

“Tomorrow the sun will rise again; it will rise over a land that is troubled, a land that has seen pain and suffering, a land that’s yearning for peace. But for a few hours this evening let’s allow the music to lift our spirits, to lighten our souls and allow us to dream of a better and more peaceful tomorrow.”

• India
• Kashmir
• German
• Zubin Mehta
• Bavarian State Orchestra