Click to play videoThe Mumbai terror attack has left the entertainment industry taking sides. The allegation of Pakistan's involvement in the operation has resulted in certain members of the Indian arts and cultural fraternity calling for a ban on Pakistani artistes performing on Indian soil.
So should India cut off cultural ties with Pakistan till they hand over the Mumbai terror suspects? That was the question raised on CNN-IBN show Face the Nation. The panel comprised singer Abhijeet Bhattachrya, former billiards champion and Padmabhushan awardee Michael Ferreira, and Jamia Millia Islamia University's professor of peace and conflict resolution Radha Kumar.
Outcome of breaking cultural ties?
Abhijeet highlighted that Pakistan does not have an entertainment infrastructure to benefit Indian artistes, whereas the Indian entertainment industry’s doors have always been open to Pakistani artistes who have enjoyed benefits, and gained popularity due to our strong entertainment infrastructure.
“Pakistan has nothing to offer to Bollywood artistes. They don’t have anything to provide to Indian artistes as they don’t have an entertainment infrastructure,” said Abhijeet.
But why should people-to-people contact suffer due to India’s inability to deal with terror and Pakistan’s inability to deal with fundamentalism?
Abhijeet replied Pakistani artistes need work permits to perform or work in India, which they don’t possess. The singer then demanded why Indian talent should suffer, as by providing a platform for Pakistani artistes, Indian artistes are losing out opportunities.
“If you go to remote villages of India you will find so much talent. Why should we snatch employment opportunities from our artistes and provide it to them?” he demanded.
But music is a social equaliser. Why should art, cultural and forms of creative expressions be used to create barriers?
Abhijeet denied that art and culture were social equalisers and reiterated his stand that Indian artistes’ commercial interest should not suffer.
Enough is enough
Hasn’t sporting diplomacy always been an integral part of Indo-Pak relations?
Ferreira agreed that sporting diplomacy has been a part of Indo-Pak relations, but he strongly condemned the attack and felt India and Indians have had enough and it’s high time some action was taken against terror.
“When I saw in living colour the rape of my city, and iconic structures being devastated and senseless murders of innocent people, I felt revulsion right to the depth of my soul,” he said.
“Sporting diplomacy is fine but we’ve had it. Enough is enough; we’ve taken enough and have turned the other cheek several times. It’s time to do something. I have friends across the border but it’s sad that our friends will be the sufferers of an impotent government, a government that cannot hold the ISI and its army in check. I refuse to live like this and let my future generations live like this,” he added.
Some elements in Pakistan are outside the control of civilian administration but what about the general Pakistani? Did they grieve when Mumbai burned?
Ferreira said that his friends from across the border must have grieved, he stood firm on his point calling the current scenario between the two countries “a war like situation”. He then said the world has got to see India stand up and do something about terrorism.
The pacifier
Will breaking cultural ties aggravate the situation or lead to a solution? And will it add to the diplomatic pressure being put on Pakistan?
Radha Kumar disagreed that breaking off cultural ties will lead to a solution. She however agreed with the points brought forth by Ferreira on human anger. She also pointed out that Indian government is taking action and there has been speedy response on Pakistani government’s part.
She then threw light on Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi’s arrest and called it extremely important for India and further prosecution.
“These arrests that have been made, in particular that of Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi’s, is an extremely extraordinary source of information for us and prosecution,” she said.
Why shouldn’t India have right to interrogate the suspects as it’s India whose been terrorised?
In answer to the question, Kumar pointed out that the Pakistani government would accept India coming and interrogating the suspects in Pakistan. Kumar was completely in favour of the joint probe and said “I think we should take it up immediately and go tomorrow to Pakistan. As the more time we give, it will not allow us to penetrate.”
Love thy neighbour?
How would breaking ties lead to a solution?
Abhijeet said,” What I want to say is that even if the terrorists are handed over, Pakistani artistes should not be allowed to work. This is not culture, it’s profession. And Bollywood has been made a breeding ground of Pakistani artistes,” he said.
Referring to the incident where Abhijeet walked out of a reality show where there were two Pakistani participants, he was asked what message was he was trying to put across.
Abhijeet again said that it was because of his stand on the professional and commercial aspect of Pakistani artistes performing in India.
But how can we ignore what the civil society of the other country expects out of India?
Kumar said that Pakistan’s civil society feels Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jamat-ud-Dawa should be closed. He added Pakistan has started to believe that they have committed terrorist attacks on India.
To Abhijeet’s point, Kumar said rules and regulations need to be made as far as the commercial and professional aspects are concerned.
Bringing the focus back to the sport front, Ferreira was asked would the fact that sport was always based on merit have to change in the light of what happened.
Stating that he was all for the sporting ties with Pakistan, he now felt that it all was trivial in front of the devastation that has taken place. He said that India need to keep up relentless pressure to neutralise the elements causing terror.
Therefore, amidst all this despondency the only hope to look forward to is the kind of response that one has been witnessing within the Pakistani civil society.
Result of SMS/Web poll: Should India cut off cultural ties with Pakistan till they hand over the Mumbai terror suspects?
Yes: 47 per cent
No: 53 per cent
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