Emu from Fuzon speaks on the situation in Pakistan and how music can act as a healer

November 3, 2009

“We are apolitical” – Emu

Zinia Sen
The Times of India

EmuQ: How did you react to the Peshawar blasts that reportedly claimed 91 lives?

Emu: I’ve stopped reacting. We, in Pakistan, have become impervious to such carnage. Talibans are on a killing spree and we’ve been reduced to helpless onlookers. I’ve gone numb. Kya kar sakte hain? Achhe log maare ja rahein hain. There’s no accountability, no judgment. It’s an inhuman state of affairs.

Q: When did you last visit Peshawar?

Emu: Four years back. It’s a rural area, full of brio and a great place to be in. Unfortunately, it’s a lot more in the news and on the radar because of the Taliban unrest.

Q: Last heard, concerts in Pakistan have run into rough weather since there’s a ban on public gatherings…

Emu: Nahin aisa kuchh nahin hai. If a concert happens for women in the mornings, there’s a repeat of it for men at nights. But because of security concerns, concerts have been put on the backburner. It’s not as if musicians or those with Western influence are the prime targets of the Talibans. It’s just that no one wants to risk one’s neck.

Q: Coming to India for shows has also become a thorny situation…

Emu: Not that there’s an embargo on visiting India, but if you don’t cut some slack by easing up on visa restrictions, travel seems remote. For God’s sake, we’re musicians. We’re apolitical. Soon after 26/11, our shows in India were called off. Some artistes even received threat calls. Fearing an extremist backlash, most didn’t risk it. I thoroughly miss my gigs there. Sadly it’s us, the regular guys, being held hostage in this rising rhetoric. But the two governments remain unflappable. Aaj woh dushman hain, kal phir se dost ban jayenge. It’s the innocents who are the pawns in this game. But hope floats. Jung honi nahin hai.

Q: But an incident like that happened when US secretary of state Hillary Clinton was in the country pledging American support for its campaign against militants…

Emu: America toh India ka dost hai aur Pakistan ka bhi. Fact remains that whatever this superpower says, one has to kowtow. I don’t understand political gameplay. It’s one big Hollywood-Bollywood-Lollywood blockbuster!

Q: Does it hurt to hear Pakistan being labelled a ‘rogue’ state, a nation which puts a high priority on subverting other nations by violence, including terrorism in all its forms?

Emu: It does. But then it doesn’t really matter who says what. Our personal security needs to be guaranteed first. I live in Karachi and have another house in Lahore. All I want is to move around freely in my own country. Is that too much to ask for?

Q: Can music act as a healer?

Emu: I think it can. One can send positive vibes through music. Fuzön is all set to do a peace concert, where 40 artistes will share one platform. The programme will be aired live on eight channels. It was supposed to happen in Lahore on October 25 but has been postponed till November. The new venue is in Karachi. We are also planning to score a tribute album, which I want to dedicate to the innocents, who laid down their lives, for reasons inexplicable.

Source: INSTEP today