Banning artists gives victory to extremists: Salman Ahmad

Banning artists, writers, actors and poets gives a victory to the terrorists and extremists who don’t want people-to-people contact, Pakistani Sufi-rock band Junoon’s frontman Salman Ahmad said.

His comments came after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) issued an “ultimatum” to all Pakistani artists to quit India within 48 hours or face trouble.

MNS had issued the socalled ultimatum on September 23 to all Pakistani cine and television artistes to leave India. The political party told the media that there was “an anti-Pakistan” wave across India after the September 18 terror attack that left 18 Indian soldiers dead at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. Ahmad, who is soon going to unveil Junoon’s 25th-anniversary special album Junoon 25 in various countries, including India, said that stopping cultural exchanges between the two neighbouring nations is not the solution.

“Terrorists and extremists don’t want people-to-people contact. They only want to create fear,” Ahmad told Indian media.

“We live in an inter-connected world. Indian actor Om Puri, whose Pakistani film Actor In-Law is doing record business in Pakistan, recently visited Pakistani cities and TV shows promoting the film. Indian artists are embraced by Pakistanis. Similarly, Indian music companies, film producers and event organisers invite Pakistani artistes because it also makes good business,” he added.

Ahmad, whose compositions were recently used in Bollywood filmRhythm, is looking forward to performing in India soon.

“After our new album Junoon 25 is released in November by Universal Music, Junoon hopes to do a world tour and we would love to perform for our Indian fans,” the Lahore-based guitarist and songwriter said.

Isn’t he concerned about his safety in the country?

He recalled that when the band, which earlier consisted of artists like Ali Azmat and Brian O’Connell, first visited India in 1998 after the chart-topping number Sayonee, people in general asked him the same question as a nuclear bomb test had been conducted by India that year.

Forget about hatred or fear, he said that the band received “nothing, but just love” from Indian fans. The same was true for Indian artists when they come to Pakistan for festivals, he said.