Pak authors, poets, back out of SAARC Music Festival to be held in Jaipur

Mumbai: Amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attack in Uri followed by surgical strike by India, a group of Pakistani authors, poets and sufi artists have withdrawn from the three-day SAARC Sufi Music Festival scheduled to be held over the weekend beginning tomorrow.

The Jaipur Sufi Festival is organised annually by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL), in association with the Rajasthan government. The foundation is spearheaded by Punjabi writer Ajit Cour.

From Pakistan about 25 leading figures in the fields of arts, literature, theatre and Sufi mysticism were invited to the prestigious event. However, safety concerns said to have forced them to withdraw from the event at the last moment after reports that there could be protests and demonstrations against them. The invitations for the event were sent in advance to the Pakistani artistes in April-May this year and their consent was received.

“I regret the decision of my Pakistani friends,” Ms. Ajit Cour, chairperson of the foundation said. However, she was sympathetic to their decision. “They must be scared too…under fear. They are also people like us and the present state of unpleasantness between the two countries may have discouraged them,” she added.

Denying that, the festival organizers had a role in Pakistani delegation’s decision for the fear of protests, Ms. Cour said: “It was their decision. We are the ones to invite them. In fact, we fought for visas for Pakistani authors and singers back in the ’80s when there were no cultural exchanges between the two countries.”

Last month, following threats by Hindu outfits, Mayo College, Ajmer had cancelled an event under the cultural exchange programme which was to be attended by a delegation from Pakistan.

Barring the Pakistani delegation, nearly 250 participants from the SAARC nations are expected to attend the festival, which will be a mélange of Sufi dance and music performances, poetry, book readings, book launches and interactive sessions at Diggi Palace. Award winning singer, songwriter and composer, Sonam Kalra will also perform on the concluding day of the Sufi Festival.