A Hindustani Classical lecture is in progress. Students are children in the age group of 3 to 15 years. A home-based music class run in one of Mumbai’s typical suburbs. The sound of the harmonium playing accompanied by the tal-mala. The children singing a bandish in Raag Des. Their bright voices and confident notes (though sometimes wrong) evoking a sense of peace and all’s well with the world feeling. No wonder the ground floor flat in a busy colony has many elderly strollers looking in through the window and smiling a half smile.
Today the teacher has a different array of songs for the children to sing. Tomorrow is 15th August and it’s going to be a holiday. Hence the class will celebrate by singing some different songs than usual. Since the age group of the children is diverse, the teacher asks a question, “Are you ready to sing some songs composed before you were born?” Even the tiniest student answers, “Yes!!” (Can’t you understand, then they won’t have to sing the 7 raagas, which are mandatory for the pre-primary exam of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya).
With the “Yes” start a host of tunes like “Ae mere pyaare watan,” “De dee hame ajaadi,” “Ae mere watan ke logon,” and many more. The students end up only listening to these, because by their very genre and through the sheer talent of the composers and singers, these songs are not easy to sing. Finally, the teacher settles on a simpler score to teach. The class gets on and everybody goes home.
There is one child out of these music students, who is desperately waiting for his mom to return home from work. He wants to share something so badly with her. When she does come home, he insists, that she listen to him first. “Okay!! Okay, let’s listen to what you have to tell me.” “Mom, do you know, tomorrow is Independence Day and teacher sang few songs to us. We could not follow and sing them easily. So she selected an easier song to teach us.” “ Hmm… which song?” “Har karam apna karenge, ae watan tere liye.” “So, did you all learn it?” “Yes, but I really don’t know why she felt it was an easier song.” “What do you mean?” “This song also made me feel like crying, when I sang it!!! And all the others, when I heard them!!” “Sing it for me dear, let me see, if I cry, when you sing it.”
The child sang, and tears streamed down the mother’s face. Isn’t it strange, and I am sure most of us have felt it, the Motherland teaches your heart to thud, your blood to rush, your tears to flow and your living takes on a new meaning.
