Forgetting a maestro

Five years have passed since the voice of ghazal legend Mehdi Hassan fell silent; his sons have now sought India's help for building a mausoleum of their illustrious father in Pakistan and better upkeep of his grave. After his death in Karachi on June 13, 2012, the Pakistan government as well as the provincial government of Sindh had promised to build a mausoleum in his memory, but so far no progress has been made, they claim.

A great voice

One of Hassan's six sons, Arif, has requested the Indian government to help them out. "After abba's demise, the government had promised to build a library and mausoleum in his memory. Five years have passed and we are still waiting. Last week, we observed his fifth death anniversary," he says.

"We have run out of patience and so we request the Indian government to help us in building a mausoleum in Karachi as he enjoyed a huge fan-following across the border," he adds.

Hassan, the melodious voice behind evergreen hits like 'Patta patta, boota boota' and 'Kab ke Bichhare', and known as Shehanshah-e-Ghazal, was born on July 18, 1927, in Luna village in Rajasthan's Jhunjhnu district. Post-Partition, he and his family migrated to Pakistan.

In a bad state

Arif also said his father's grave is in a pathetic condition. "Only fencing work was done and that too after our tireless efforts. There is a lot of filth and sewage water there. Kids play cricket and people rear their goats in the area. It has also become a hub for anti-social elements, which is a matter of concern," he says.

A close friend of the Hassan family and founder of artistbooking.com, Manmeet Singh, says several Indian artistes are ready to help. "As the Pakistan government is not doing anything in this regard, we are ready to support. I have spoken with many artistes like Hariharan, who went to Karachi after Mehdi Hassan's demise in 2012, Hansraj Hans and Talat Aziz, and they are ready to help," he adds.

Kamran, the US-based son of Hassan, has requested the Indian government to organise a tribute for his father at his birth-place in Rajasthan. "I would like to request the government of India, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to organise a tribute for him at his birth-place, where I can perform too," Kamran, himself a ghazal singer, shares. -PTI