Looks like Mumbai govt is already ‘looking into the matter’ but they stopped Farhad Wadia’s Independence Rock happening in the last hour. The rock concert was organised at the Gateway of India and it was stopped because the kind of music & sound will damage the monument. Laughing stock, right !!
In an open letter to his fans, Farhad Wadia leaves six questions to be answered by them –
1.) Are we going to let the Police decide what type of Music can be played at a National Monument?
2.) Are we going to have one set of Rules for Jazz, Indian Classical, & Fusion and a different set of rules for Rock?
3.) Are we still suffering from a Post Colonial Hangover that Foreign / White Bands can perform at National Monuments & Indian Bands don’t have the same Rights ?
4.) Are we going to have Separate rules for Big Newspapers & TV Organizations , & Politicians and different ones for ordinary citizens like me ?
5.) Are we going to let Government officials whose Salaries get paid by taxes that we pay cause irreparable Loss of money Time & effort to citizens like me?
6.) Are we going to let shows get cancelled after 14 different Government Departments have okayed it, just because someone did not like the idea of the Gateway of India to be used for a Rock Concert ?
Also he comments on the aftermath of the announcement that the rock show was cancelled –
Rock Fans who have been stereotyped as violent & abusive & other unflattering adjectives by the Police quietly left the venue . Had this been a Ganesh Utsav, Durga Pooja , Or Navratri Celebration there would have surely been a riot there !
How True !! Link Via Amit Varma.
kirukkal.com 
9 responses to “Dependent Rock !!”
hey i m the first to comment. but i have read the post first.
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sorry, grammatical error. ya i m reading the post
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He can raise all the questions he can, but who exactly was he expecting to mouth the answers? 🙂
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Hemanth, Who else , those fans. But don’t u think it was a harsh move from the mumbai govt at the last minute.
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I’m beginning to think that successive Maharashtra governments (esp w.r.t Mumbai) must be competing for the “Worst State Govt” award….
As Don McLean sang “.. the day the music died…”
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do you people know the reason for which that monument was built ?? , the nature of the idea that monument depicts ?!?!
and still you talk about allowing it to be a Rock Band playing place…
hmm.. so why dont you stop giving spl respect to the pooja room in your house (its just a general comment , not specific on you LG or any religion) or give spl respect to something that we consider to be respectfull ??
edho 10 paer permission kuduthutadhaala.. the last person cannot let it happen..
btw, has anybody already performed like this ??
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Senthil,
” btw, has anybody already performed like this ??”
2.) Are we going to have one set of Rules for Jazz, Indian Classical, & Fusion and a different set of rules for Rock?
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Senthil,
Many concerts similar to this have been performed at the Gateway of India. This wasn’t an exception. These are some of the concerts that have been organized at the Gateway of India in the past:
1. The Mumbai Festival featuring Al Jarreau & other Jazz Rock artists .
2. Shakti featuring Zakir Hussain & John Mac Laughlin another Jazz Rock / Fusion Act
3. The Mumbai Mirror Launch function
4. Bal Thackerays Book Launch .
Do you need more reason as to why Independence Rock should NOT be organized at the Gateway? I think the Police especially the Commissioner had no brains to cancel it at the last moment. May be they were mere puppets at the hands of political parties – and you know who I’m talking about!
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it aint about who is playing wht , the thing is we need these shows to be managed properly, for instance:
1>we need our gigs to start during day ,like in every other country.
2>it wont harm anyone use a little influence to get work done without any interferences.
3>its a commercial event anyway promote the damn thing.
what gives me the right to talk like this, i almost lost my life riding to bobmbay for the gig.
no offense to anyone , i know shit happens and we all fall into it, but i needed to say all this !
peace and godbless
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