‘Wonderful music must happen’

In a society that has learnt to celebrate and reckon with only one form of success — creation of wealth — it is quite difficult to find people who defiantly thwart successive attempts to help them make money.

Contemporary Gujarati society is celebrated the world over as the epitome of inherent wealth generation skills. So what would one expect to see at a festival of international repute being held in Gujarat, with participation from world over? Advertisements, sponsors and banners exacting gratitude out of you for making this happen? Passes and tickets being sold for astronomical sums? Specialised sitting arrangement with a progressively rising premium on every chair that gets closer to the stage?

There is one guy from Ahmedabad who proved all these paradigms wrong. Late Pandit Nandan Mehta, the founder of the Saptak School of Music. Though much celebrated and highly respected among the lovers of classical music, very few in the city are actually fully aware of what he has created and left for us a city and society. Organising India’s biggest and most famous musical fete for 31 years which sees participation of dozens of maestros representing different schools of music is no mean achievement. Turning it into a calendar event for everyone interested in classical music is something more remarkable.

But the biggest achievement is that he kept the programme free for everyone to enjoy — with no passes being sold for a price.  He also ensured that the event was not auctioned to marketers for a commercial bonanza. The concept of maintaining a total democracy in sitting arrangement, with no privileges for anyone whomsoever, is an achievement as big as building an egalitarian society.

And all these and much more was achieved for only one purpose — ‘wonderful music must happen’! The sanctity and purity of music is what he maintained all along. But his most noteworthy contribution, though very subtle, was to give everyone a right to hear good music with dignity, irrespective of their socio-economic condition.

It is an interesting paradox in an era marked for piracy of music by the connoisseurs who can't afford it. Today the music companies, composers and studios create parallel policing mechanism to ensure that the music doesn't stay free. At a time like this, people like Nandan Mehta seem as heroic as freedom fighters who show the same gusto to fight for other countries, which they showed to fight for their own motherland.   

It should, therefore, not come as a surprise to anyone that a lot of die-hard fans of Nandanbhai who believe in his philosophy, joined his movement by offering their services free. Of course, a lot of musicians played without charging any money.

They accepted whatever amount was given to them. Many hoteliers provided free rooms, the famous venue of the festival is given free and most of the support services for the programme continued to be free or at a very nominal charge. Once again all this at a time when even the religious leaders and pop gurus too have to shell out hefty amounts for every service they use! 

The most heartening news however is that even after Nandanbhai passed away, people who worked with him are keeping the spirit behind the festival, as alive as always. No wonder there are more musicians than ever before, who have offered to participate at the festival as a tribute to Nandan Mehta.

The number of supporters — over 200 —  who pooled in money to keep the festival going without any publicity or their name being mentioned anywhere, has only swelled this year! 

Generally, institutions die or weaken when their founders die. Only exceptions are when the founders create such a legacy that the legatee find it a cause worthwhile to protecting and cherishing. Probably, inspiring a committed base of followers and fans who endorse his idea of saying no to money and profits is a more momentous achievement.   

 (To be concluded)