Straight Answers

Salman Ahmad, band leader, Junoon, andgoodwill ambassador to the UN, on how to establish enduring peace between Indiaand Pakistan:I think artistes of both the countries need to do a lot morethan they are doing now to promote peace. Junoon has performed with Euphoria ata peace concert at the UN General Assembly in New York. We have also performedwith Sonu Nigam in Dubai where Indian and Pakistani fans displayed posterssaying `We want cultural fusion, not nuclear fusion.'' Last year we appeared at aGujarat earthquake relief concert in New Delhi with Indian and Bangladeshibands. But this is just a drop in the ocean. Now is the time for musicians andpeople other than politicians to speak out forpeace.First we must agree on peace. Peace promotes economicswhich in turn strikes at the real roots of terrorism. No peace means noprosperity. We need to talk now with third party mediation, because bilateralismhas failed miserably. Two nuclear nations are a threat to global peace and intoday''s times that means qayamat!Our governments need to understandthat there are over a billion people in India and Pakistan who still believe inlife, prosperity and a mutual future without war. The beauty of India andPakistan is their unique diversity. We need to show to the rest of the world howto live together in harmony as our Sufi ancestorsdid.We need to understand that we may have different nationalitiesbut we are all bonded by a common humanity. Music can be more powerful than gunsand bombs, because it brings peopletogether.We are anxiously waiting to come and perform forthe people of India and sing