Sarod maestro excluded from Tansen fest

Miffed at the exclusion of his family from the prestigious Tansen Music Festival beginning in Gwalior on Friday, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan has asked Madhya Pradesh government to refrain from turning the Department of Culture into a political centre.

"I was born in Gwalior. A road has been named after my father Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan. I have been playing the sarod across the globe. My two sons Amaan and Ayaan are known internationally for music. But I have not been invited even as a listener to the Tansen music festival," Khan told PTI on telephone from Delhi.

Referring to the functioning of the Bharat Bhawan Trust, launched by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to protect and promote pluralistic culture of the country, the sarod maestro said the trust should not be politicised.

"I request Madhya Pradesh government not to make Bharat Bhawan Trust a political centre but appoint creative persons as members irrespective of region and states," he said, offering himself as a member to guide and suggest as what should be done to protect and promote Indian art and culture.

"Since I was born in Gwalior, I would like to be its member so that I can make positive contributions in preserving Indian culture and help them produce another Tansen, Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and of course another Amjad Ali Khan," he said.