Ghulam Ali is one of the most iconic musicians produced by South East Asia and certainly enjoys a huge fan following in the region. Besides having a legion of fans in both India and Pakistan, Ghulam Ali’s concerts are attended by Indians in huge quantities.
However, after the ghazal singer was forced to cancel his concerts in Mumbai and Pune following protests by Indian rightist wing Shiv Sena, Ghulam Ali was dismayed by the negative treatment meted out to him. Disappointed, the singer stated that he would not return to the country until ‘things settle down’.
“I have cancelled all my future concerts in India, will never come back to India. I will not perform until things settle down. I’m hurt by recent incidents in India. As of now I have decided not to come to India. Indian fans have been very supportive. I’m a singer, I will talk about music, not politics,” he said.
Following Ghulam Ali’s concerts getting canceled in India, a debate ensued in the country in which artists and influential people spoke out, stating that politics should be kept out of art.
Ghulam also said that he was “hurt by the politics being played over his concerts in India” and how certain political parties were trying to score brownie points by not letting him perform in India.
Ghulam Ali had been stopped from performing in India last month, by protest threats from Shiv Sena. Sena had stated that no Pakistani artist would be allowed to perform in India, owing to alleged terrorism from Pakistan.
