NO words can evaluate Bismillah Khan's contribution to music. His name is synonymous with the shehnai. It is he who lifted it from the ignominy of being an obscure wind instrument played at marriages to an ideal medium for soulful rendition of classical music. Music lovers aver that listening to him play Madhuvanti and Yaman Kalyan was the most enthralling experience that they had ever had. Small wonder that he played the shehnai at the historic Red Fort when India became independent in 1947. There could not be a bigger icon for Hindu-Muslim unity either. The banks of the Ganga were his favourite haunts and he would play religiously at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Khan saheb was a Bharat Ratna in every sense of the word.
J. Akshay SecunderabadDead endTHE agrarian crisis must be solved before it destroys our economy, which is largely based on agriculture (Cover Story, September 8).
The root cause of farmers' suicides is their indebtedness. The moneylender's cruelty has no bounds. Just as the `zamindari' system was abolished soon after Independence, the `mahajani' (moneylending) system should be abolished too.
Farmers should be provided interest-free loans, and, in case of crop failure, they should be compensated by the state. Crop insurance is also a remedy provided it is implemented properly.
A.T.M. Anwar Hyderabad* * *THE stories about the farmers of Vidharba and other regions of Maharashtra presented a clear picture of the miseries of farmers.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's explanation in Parliament about the problem by using statistics and accusing farmers of not adopting scientific methods is worrying.
K. Ragunathan Coimbatore, T.N.* * *THE farmers of Maharashtra need a system immediately to ensure water for irrigation, waiver of debts, institutional loans, supply of quality seeds and fertilizers, marketing facilities, free educational and health services, and so on.
Planning Commission member B.L. Mungekar's suggestion to strengthen the cooperative movement of small and marginal farmers may be a good solution. Industry-agriculture relationship should be managed in such a manner that the agricultural sector gets strength and support from industry.
The Central and State governments should work in tandem to pull the farmer out of the serious economic crisis.
Sudish Kumar Sharma Kapurthala, Punjab* * *WHETHER drought or floods, the farmer is the victim. Huge investments in agriculture and infrastructure development, input subsidies, modern methods of cultivation, protection against calamities, remunerative prices and so on are necessary.
A. Jacob Sahayam Thiruvananthapuram* * *THE condition of the farmers in Vidarbha region is awful. The idea of giving hybrid cows to farmers in a drought-hit region seems absurd.
Why is the Maharashtra government being so irresponsible in this chaotic situation?
As Mungekar said, increasing irrigation facilities and practising mixed-cropping are the best ways to solve the problem.
Immediate measures should be taken to help the suffering peasants.
Resmi Asokan Kollam, KeralaTributeWITH shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan's death the nation has lost one of its geniuses whose music was a symbol of love for humanity. Partha Chatterjee's ("Khan of shehnai'' September 8) was one of the finest tributes to the doyen of music. Words cannot express the value of his contribution to music. How many people's death at the age of 90 can be considered untimely?
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee Faridabad, HaryanaTHE demise of Ustad Bismillah Khan in the holy city of Varanasi signalled the end of shehnai music in India. He was deeply attached to Varanasi and refused to leave the city even for treatment. He treasured his "karmabhoomi", Kashi, above all and wished to breathe his last there, which came true. His melodious tunes brought happiness all around. Can any one forget his tunes in the 1959 Hindi film, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, starring Rajendra Kumar and Ameeta?
S. Balakrishnan Jamshedpur, JharkhandAnnouncementLetters, whether by surface mail or e-mail, must carry the full postal address and the full name, or the name with initials.
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