BJP Cabinet Minister & Bollywood Singer Baabul Supriyo’s Open Letter To Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

BJP Cabinet Minister & Bollywood Singer Baabul Supriyo’s Open Letter To Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Imploring The Pakistani Singer To Stay Away From Bollywood Until The Problems  With India Are Resolved. In Other Words, Just Stay Away.

Dear Rahat Bhai,

Hope this finds you well. Sincerely appreciate the fact that you have indeed condemned terrorism in your response to me. However, in all humility, may I confess that I do understand how your patriotism stands in the way of you specially condemning the Cross Border terrorism sponsored by people with vested interests in your Government, ample material evidence of which exists in the public domain as well as classified information made available to the important and relevant International agencies including the United Nations.  While I completely empathize with your predicament, you may wish to agree that my love for my country makes it impossible for me to ignore the fact that, dreaded individuals named in International Terror lists, the likes of Dawood Ibrahim, HafizSaeed, Syed Salahudeen, Zakiur Rehman Laqvi etc have not only found (and have been given) safe haven in Pakistan but terror outfits lead by them, like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM), Hizbul Mujahideen and others are allowed to operate freely with ample financial & other support from the Pakistan Government and Establishments like the ISI and sadly, even from the Pak Military. So much so that Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, Mr Hussain Haqqani had once confessed that “Pakistan Sponsors Terrorism’’.  Brother, should you visit the Independent Wikipedia Page “Pakistan and State Sponsored Terrorism’’, you will not only be shocked but probably inclined to agree that maybe the time has come, when instead of repeating the doctrine (which failed in this case), that “Music and cricket between India and Pakistan will help ease tension between the two countries”, powerful and beloved individuals like you and others from the musical fraternity may want to get together with those from the cricketing fraternity to put pressure on your Government to refrain from such ‘Nefarious Locus Standi’, a FACT that is endorsed by majority of the Leading Nations of the world. This tolerance towards Terrorism, apart from bringing utter disrepute to Pakistan, also more importantly costs thousands of innocent lives on either sides of the border. I also find it pertinent to mention here that there exists no such concept of called ‘Good Terrorism & Bad Terrorism’ as is often mentioned by Pervez Musharraf, once your Head of State!  Bhai, in this context may I add that, like you said, I too firmly believe that Music and Art has no Boundaries & Borders, but though we term SUR as Ishwar or God, we remain mere mortals of this Real World where geographical borders do exist. Therefore what appears to be ‘9’  to us Indians, appear ‘6’ to you and your country simply because we are seeing it from our side of that ‘Geographical Border’ …Nothing more, Nothing less. Lastly, Samay se bada kuchh bhi nehi hota ,Bhai and therefore maybe thatSamay has come when we musicians should not restrict ourselves to just basking in the glory assuming “Music will ease all Tensions” but instead resort to some real pro-active and reconciliatory action to help peace descend over all of us. I remain hopeful for that, no matter how utopian that may sound . Amen.

Much love and regards, Yours truly, Babul Supriyo.