New Delhi, April 27: The Vice President of India, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that music has the power to overcome the tribulations of war and terrorism and sends the message of oneness.
Speaking at the “CHIRAGH” concert of the South Asian Symphony Orchestra at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), in Mumbai on friday, Mr Naidu said that music speaks a universal language and transcends geographical boundaries and unites people.
Shri Naidu appreciated Dr. Ahmad Sarmast for training the young children from Afghanistan who performed at the concert overcoming such barriers. He said that the young performers have proved that their music symbolizes the best of the human spirit and speaks the universal language of peace and harmony.
The Vice President called upon organisations such as the South Asian Symphony Orchestra to carry the message of peace and non-violence and dispel the dark clouds of misguided minds that were unleashing sporadic spurts of mindless violence.
Shri Naidu said that events such as the Concert organised by CHIARGH showcase India and its people’s commitment towards cooperation and co-existence among all nations.
The Vice President wanted the members of the orchestra and musicians at large to become ambassadors for a new and resurgent South Asia. He asked them to re-capture the essence of ancient civilizational ethos such as – peace, compassion and co-existence and re-connect with the common cultural well springs that unite the region.
The South Asian Symphony Foundation established by Smt. Nirupama and Shri Sudhakar Rao, retired senior civil servants, has built a unique project – a Symphony Orchestra to unite the people of South Asia region, through the divine medium of music.
Saying that Music was a powerful art form that could transform the quality of our lives, Shri Naidu asked the South Asian Symphony Foundation to build a repertoire of indigenous music from the region and continue to spread the universal message of peace and brotherhood around the world.
The Vice President and the gathering paid tributes by observing silence in the memory of those who lost their lives on the dastardly terror attack in Colombo, Sri Lanka recently.
The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C. Vidyasagar Rao, more than 70 musicians from countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and others, Orchestra Conductor Shri Viswa Subbaraman, founders of CHIRAGH, Smt Nirupama and Shri Sudhakar Rao and eminent musicians and art lovers from Mumbai were present on the occasion.
