Shillong Musicians Sending A Message Of Peace & Unity Through Music After CAA Violence

After the clashes last week left Meghalaya in turmoil, protesters have found a way to usher back peace into state capital, Shillong. Taking cue from protesters in Assam, musicians in neighbouring Meghalaya have resorted to music to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Meghalaya is popularly known as India¡¯s ¡°rock and roll capital¡±. After days of curfew and internet shutdown in the hill city, these musicians took out a unique initiative titled "Music For Protection And Future Of The People" to convince the people into laying down arms.

One band strummed to Bob Marley¡¯s famous Redemption Song: ¡°¡­We forward in this generation/Triumphantly/ Won¡¯t you help to sing/These songs of freedom?/¡¯Cause all I ever have/Redemption songs/ Redemption songs¡­¡±

The event was organised by Summersalt, a Shillong-based folk-fusion band, that featured in the Bollywood film Rock On 2.

The event, Music for Protection and Future of the People, called upon the people to reason together and welcome the season of peace.

India has been in a state of turmoil for the last 10 days, becoming a broken nation of sorts. But we believe that music and arts can act as the best healing balm. We are here at Shillong, but we know there are people in Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Northeast India and elsewhere who are voicing their fears in one voice," Kitkupar Shangpliang of folk band Summersalt told NDTV.

He added that the essence of this event is to get people unite and together understand the importance of peace in trying times.

Rudy Wallang of blues-rock band Soulmate said the situation in Shillong had been scary and in such times music is a great unifier. He said the government must not take people¡¯s voice for granted.

AFP

Protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have swelled across the country, and turned violent in some parts, especially Uttar Pradesh. So far, at least 26 people have died in protests across the country with UP registering the highest toll with widespread police violence.

The Citizenship Amendment Act makes it easier for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to become Indian nationals.

Protesters have termed the CAA as ¡°unconstitutional¡± and against the secular fabric of the country.

While many across the country and abroad have termed it "discriminatory" and "communal", residents of the Northeast oppose the law because they believe it will open the floodgates for illegal migrants into the region.