Don’t Rock The Boat, Navalkarji

August 15th has always had special significance. Not only do we Indians celebrate our freedom, but also thousands of rock fans and musicians head for Rang Bhavan, the mecca for rock concerts in Mumbai for the internationally acclaimed Independence Rock Festival which is annually held there.

Last year, this festival was on the verge of being cancelled as our Minister for Cultural Affairs, Pramod Navalkar, directed the hall authorities not to issue dates as this was `cultural pollution’. But for the timely intervention of Alyque Padamsee, who wrote him a scathing letter asking him to rethink his position, or else let the courts decide, the show would never have happened.

Last year was a brief reprieve for rock lovers from the minister’s diktat!Come January 26, and it was time for another popular festival — Rock Yatra. We were informed that the hall was `booked’, which was a white lie, because come the day, the only activity at thehall were street urchins playing their afternoon game of cricket.

On confronting the hall management, we were tacitly informed that the minister had issued verbal orders that no western rock/pop concerts were to be allowed and all requests for these had to be routed to his office.

And if that wasn’t enough, a week later the venue was given to Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac) for a blues-rock concert, which used the same sound systems, had exorbitantly priced tickets and had the added attraction of nubile young, leotard-clad female dancers as well.

This was the worst form of discrimination for us Indian rock musicians, wherein we were denied the right to our livelihood — our performances — whereas acts from out of the country were freely allowed to pursue their craft in the very venue denied to us. For a minute, it was like the British were back in India.

However, after hundreds of calls, letters, trips to Mantralaya and power broking by other members of the Maharashtra Cabinet, we were granted twodates for Rock Yatra ’98 April 4 and 5. We were informed that it would be the last time the minister decreed that rock concerts were not to happen here again and Rang Bhavan is the only place economically feasible.

When the Sena government, especially Pramod Navalkar welcomed Michael Jackson here, we were happy to finally have a government with an open mind. Especially since Navalkar made a statement in an afternoon newspaper, calling Michael Jackson `a part of our culture’.

So this sudden volte-face, banning Indian musicians, came as a shock. And the message here could be that Indian Rock Musicians are not good enough to perform on the same stage!

`Obscene lyrics’ is not even a poor excuse, since we, as organisers, ensure that obscenity is left out. And if residents complain about the loud noise, they must be complaining irrespective of what kind of music is played there, whether it’s jazz, Hindi pop or ghazals.

We also ensure that the show ends by 10.30 pm, unlike dandiya raas and Ganesh MitraMandals. And we do not encourage alcohol and drug consumption — we have very strict checks at the entrance and anyone appearing intoxicated is refused entry.

And to say that Rang Bhavan will be under renovation during August 15th, 1998, and thus we may not get the venue, is ludicrous, cause it’s impossible to renovate an open air amphitheatre during the monsoon. These are just excuses to escape the public outrage and consternation this decision has caused.

Lastly, I would like to inform the Honourable Minister that he is in direct Contempt of two High Court judgements, wherein the Court has decreed that Rock Concerts should be allowed at Rang Bhavan under specific guidelines, which are strictly followed by us organisers.

We hope Pramod Navalkar will re-examine his stance vis-a-vis rock concerts at Rang Bhavan, considering that India is a country where freedom of speech and artistic expression are hard won basic fundamental rights.To ban an art form like rock music is only sending wrong signals to theyouth of our city, who look upon the ruling political party as a modern one.

50 Years ago we won our Freedom to Vote…

12 years ago we won our right to Rock…

Independence rock!!!

Farhad Wadia heads AMP, the event management company that has been organising Rock Yatra for over a decade now. He is also a rocker himself