Will Kashmir's all-girl band Pragaash survive?

The National Commission for Women and some parliamentarians on Monday came out in support of Kashmir's first all-girls rock band 'Pragaash' whose singing was termed as "un-Islamic" by the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir.

"This is wrong. Every one has their own perspective, there are traditions.

But I believe that if after so many years of independence, we stop girls from any work, it will be our double standards," said Mamata Sharma, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women. "On the one hand we say that both genders should be equal but on the other hand we put restrictions on girls, that girls cannot do this...I believe this is very wrong," she added.

BJD MP Jay Panda also came out in support of the rock band. "I think no body has the right to stop other people from expressing themselves through their music or other cultural activities," he said.

Naeem Akhtar, spokesperson of Opposition Peoples Democratic Party in J-K, said the entire incident was an "unnecessary controversy".

"Mufti sahab has made a profession out of issuing fatwas on every issue that is defaming religion," Akhtar said.

BJP MP Najma Heptullah also supported the all-girls band. "Saying anything in the name of religion does not do any favour to the religion...If you don't like songs, don't listen to them. To stop them (the rock band members) in the name of religion, I don't think it is the right move," she added.

The Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Bashiruddin Ahmad had yesterday issued a decree, terming the bands singing as "un-Islamic" and asked the girls to abandon it.

The all-girls band has three class 10 students as its members - vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and Guitarist Aneeka Khalid.

The first live performance of 'Pragaash' (darkness to light) at Srinagar's music festival 'Battle of the Bands' in December had created ripples in the Valley.

But their euphoria was short-lived as the girls soon started receiving online threats for defying convention by choosing the field of music, leaving their parents worried and forcing them to keep a low profile.

What happened next

Within days of this report, Pragaash disbanded. The three schoolgirls announced they were quitting music, saying the threats and the controversy had become too much — despite the wave of political support and an offer of security from then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The Grand Mufti stood by his decree. The band that had gone from "darkness to light" in December 2012 was gone by the end of that winter, a casualty not of talent but of the threats that followed it.

Archive report, February 2013. The original Hindustan Times source link is no longer live.