Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s prompt action against those who sent threatening messages to the all-girls rock band, Pragaash, on social networking sites is laudable. But this is not the solution to the complex problem in the Kashmir Valley. The government should make efforts to educate people.
Ashwani Dhar, Faridabad
The all-girls band, Pragaash, gained quick popularity. But the girls’ joy was short-lived with the grand mufti Basheerudin Ahmed decreeing that singing is un-Islamic. When will men’s attitude towards women change?
R. Sindhu, Rasipuram
To begin with, a Kashmir based ‘news’ portal reported the threats faced by the girls who later called it quits. As this set the discourse on social networking sites, other web portals came out with a denial. The denial made it clear that no threats were issued by anyone. Amid all this, a self-styled chief cleric denounced music as ‘un-Islamic.’
From here, TV anchors joined the chorus. A new debating line was drawn on the basis of moral and immoral, Islamic and un-Islamic. The unprecedented coverage the band received made it a ‘national’ issue with Kashmiris portrayed as opposed to modernism.
Moazum Mohammad, New Delhi
Keywords: Pragaash controversy