Irate Shiv Sena activists whipped up anti-Pakistani frenzy here on Tuesday, as they barged inside the Mumbai Press Club and disrupted a news conference organised by a well-known sufi rock band from Pakistan to announce the launch of an Indo-Pak cultural initiative involving artistes from both the countries.
Nearly 50 Sainiks, carrying saffron flags and raising slogans against Pakistan, forced their way inside the Mumbai Press Club, where the Mekaal Hasan Band (MHB), a band from lahore in Pakistan, preparing to announce the launch of a first-ever Indo-Pak band with artistes from both the countries.
The Sainiks tore up the backdrop banner of the visiting band, threw the chairs and furniture around and heckled the Indo-Pak artistes gathered to address the news conference, as they staged a noisy protest against the MHB’s initiative to team up with Indian artistes to launch a joint cultural initiative.
The protest by the Sainiks, who were also raising slogans like “Vande Mataram” and “Go back you Pakistanis”, was in line with the stand taken consistently by the Shiv Sena over the years that it would not allow Pakistani artistes to perform in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra, till such time Islamabad continued to sponsor terror acts on Indian soil.
Though the MHB’s news conference was scheduled to start at 3 pm, the Sena activists began assembling outside the Press Club from 2 pm onwards. At around 3:10 pm, the Sainiks barged inside, indulged in vociferous sloganeering and disrupted the news conference.
Formed in 2001 by guitarist-composer Mekaal Hasan, the MHB plays music that ius a fusion between the melodic sensibility and traditional music of the East and the musical arrangements and harmonic sophistication of the West. The band features musicians from Pakistan and abroad.
Among those who were to address the news conference were composer-songwriter, guitarist Mekaal Hasan and Muhammad Ahsan Papu (flute) from the Pakistani side and Gino Banks (drums and percussion), Sheldon D’Silva (bass) and Sharmistha Chatterjee (vocal). The Police formed a cordon around the artistes in their effort to prevent any effort by the Sainiks to manhandle them.
Outside the press club, the police personnel, in their effort to ensure against any toward incident, pleaded with the Sainiks to end their protest as their voice had already been heard. However, the Sainiks continued with their protests and succeeded in stalling the news conference.
The protests lasted for nearly an hour. The police detained at least 20 protesters, who included three women.
At one stage, the protesters were seen arguing with senior journalist and peace activist Jatin Desai as to why the press conference of the Pakistani band had been organised at the Press Club. The police officials also interacted with the protesters and brought the situation under control.
Senior police officials, including Additional Commissioner of Police (Mumbai south) Krishna Prakash and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Ravindra Shisve, who rushed to the scene, interacted with the visiting band members and assured them safety.
Talking to media persons after the protests by the Sena activists, Pakistani composer-songwriter, guitarist Mekaal Hasan described the protest by Shiv Sainiks as “unfortunate”, but said that he would continue to spread the message of love through music.
“Whatever happened was unfortunate. We did not predict that there could be such a backlash,” Hasan saidQueried whether if he would perform in India, he said: “You can us anywhere. We will come and perform. ....we should make peace through music”.
Justifying the protests, Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said: “How can anyone invite such bands to MumbaiIJ It was in Mumbai that Kasab and his fellow Pakistani indulged in dastardly attack. They killed our policemen. The same Pakistanis beheaded one of our soldiers along the border. We are out to patronize the same Pakistanis”.
“It is high time we took to task all those, who invited these Pakistanis to India. They (organisers) are traitors,” Raut added.
Hitting out at the Shiv Sena for its protest against the visiting Pakistani band, Jatin Desai, peace activist and General Secretary of India chapter of Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD) Jatin Desai said: “I condemn the Sena’s act. The party has organised the protest with an eye on the forthcoming lok Sabha polls…. If you have any view point, you can ask it peacefully, but this is not done…. We do not need the permission of Shiv Sena to hold a press conference”.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said that the Mumbai Police had no prior intimation about the MHB event being held at the Press Club. “But as soon as the police came to know of the event, our personnel rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. The police arrested 20 of the protesters,” he said.