Sonu Nigam says Pakistani singers get paid more in India than Indians do. This is discrimination. Why are liberals silent?
Art is timeless, borderless and priceless.
When we are appreciating or internalising a brilliant piece of art, a true work of genius, we cannot put a price tag to it. Also, we cannot appreciate art on the basis of who created it or in which country it has been created. Honest art truly stands the test of time and becomes immortal.
The same is true for artistes. We cannot confine them to a boundary. An artist doesn't belong to a country or a race or even a time period.
All the above changes when you put a price tag on a creation.
A creation, created solely to earn money, may be a piece of art — but we shouldn't forget that it has been created solely to generate money for the creator.
For example, Indian commercial cinema.
Can commercial cinema be art? Of course it can be!
Now, when we're talking business, we are dealing with boundaries, rules, regulations, fair play and anything and everything that may affect business, positively or negatively.
Similarly, commercial artistes are not just artistes — they are earning money through their professions. Of course it is then justified to subject the commercial artiste to taxes and laws of the land, however strict they might be.
So, before going into the topic, let us get this argument out of the way that art which is for commerce shouldn't have borders.
That done, let's look at the issue at hand.
December to February in India is usually the season of weddings. It is also the season of soirées. Almost all communities organise public concerts and bhajans. Such shows are no doubt a part of our culture that cuts across territorial boundaries and caste and religious divides.
This is also the time when stage artistes, singers and actors earn a major portion of their yearly incomes. Any loss of business during this time is likely to have a direct bearing on one’s quality of life for those dependent on it.
This is the place from where an angry Sonu Nigam has wished that it would have been better if he'd been a Pakistani.
At Agenda Aaj Tak 2018, Sonu Nigam talked about how Indian singers are asked to pay money to perform at musical shows — and Pakistani singers get a better deal because they walk onto the stage for free. Sonu Nigam also posted a clarification of his statement on his Facebook page, where he revealed that some music companies are demanding almost half of the concert fees from Indian artistes, whereas no such demands are made from his Pakistani counterparts.
I asked around a bit and found Nigam’s claims to be true.
Most of the time, organisers pay a hefty amount to top-of-the-line Pakistani singers like Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to get them on stage. Most of their expenses, including food, lodging and entourage expenses, are taken care of by the organisers. On the other hand, top Indian singers like Sonu Nigam and Shaan are not only paid much less, but also asked to cough up money to sing alongside the Pakistani singers on the same stage.
Some liberals may now argue that Atif Aslam is a better singer than Sonu Nigam. Even if we accept such an argument, it doesn't justify the discriminatory treatment that Sonu Nigam's ilk is facing in India, just because they are Indian performers.
What Sonu Nigam has revealed is only the tip of the iceberg.
Do we know how the Pakistani singers or performers are paid for performing in India? Well, they are apparently paid in dollars because nowhere in India can you do dealings in Pakistani rupees.
My sources tell me that in most cases, the transfer of money happens in Dubai or in a foreign country through agents to bypass the Indian tax net. The performers usually come to India on a work visa or a sponsored visa for their performances.
One of my friends, who is an event manager, told me that in most cases, the Pakistani singers earn almost double the amount their Indian counterparts can make.
Liberals have chosen to remain silent over the issue.
Had this discriminatory treatment taken place with a Pakistani singer, they would have flooded the opinion space with caustic comments. But not a word has been said in favour of Sonu Nigam.
You may choose to criticise Sonu Nigam for his comments — but here's the truth. Pakistani singers visit India because they want to earn money. The size of our economy and the cash-flush upper-middle class can provide them with 20 times the money that they can earn by doing shows in Pakistan. (This is a ballpark figure after considering the amounts paid to performers in India and Pakistan and the recent devaluation of the Pakistani rupee).
Apart from the fact that the Pakistani economy is in doldrums, there are not enough opportunities in the country too considering the fact that dancing is prohibited among Islamic hardliners and radicals. There have been many instances of performers getting killed outside of the bigger cities of Pakistan like in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In short, if you venture beyond the elite lanes, Pakistan is an antithesis of India, where singing and dancing is almost a mandatory part of all celebrations.
Besides, performing in India, or Bollywood for that matter, is a matter of pride and prestige for a section of Pakistani performers. Their market value in their country increases manifolds if they get some love from Indians.
This is the reason you will see Pakistani singers yearning for a place on the Indian stage.
But this is where we should pause and think.
Forget the fact that Pakistani citizens are only here to earn money and wouldn't say a word against the state policy of terror in their country (understandably so, because they have to go back to their own country), my question is — why should Indian singers suffer because of them?
Why can't we root for equality?
Why shall we allow our own nationals to complain of discrimination and maintain a studied silence about it, just to maintain a facade of being a liberal?
Hope the government will at least ensure the next time a Pakistani singer lands on stage, India is not being cheated in terms of income tax.
Equality is a universal right.
When some of our event organisers cannot ensure equality, they should be bold enough to come forward and declare that they are partial towards Pakistanis.