Bismillah Khan to fulfil 'antim abhilasha'

New Delhi, Apr 21: Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, who enthralled a newly independent India from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 1947, is to play at the India Gate in July as his 'antim abhilasha' (last wish) to pay tributes to the World War I martyrs.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, had cajoled a reluctant Bismillah Khan to perform at the historic Red Fort on August 15, 1947.

The nonagenarian Ustad has now been given official nod to fulfil his wish of a solo concert, titled 'The Tune India' at the India Gate on July 15.

He will play for global peace and communal harmony, according to concert organisers Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha.

Union Home Ministry Yesterday asked Delhi Police Commissioner K K Paul to complete all formalities of the July 15 concert.

Union Minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal, who wrote the letter to the Police Commissioner, will also be travelling to Bismillah Khan's native place of Varanasi to pay his respects.

The only musician to have been decorated with all the top national awards (Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri), Bismillah Khan who lives in a narrow lane of Sarai Harha in the temple town, had expressed his 'antim abhilasha' to perform at the India Gate during his 91st birthday celebrations in Varanasi last month.

His well-wishers had cut a 91-kg cake on his 91st birthday, the celebrations of which he delayed to pay respects to the victims of the twin blasts in Varanasi a fortnight before his birthday.

''More than 5,000 people from across the world are expected to attend the concert,'' said the Jha couple, who co-authored a monogram on the maestro two years ago.

Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, who had announced a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month for the ailing musician, said the concert would ''play a key role in restoring peace and communal harmony not only in India but across the world''.

Mr Jaiswal said he would ask Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to extend monetary help to the living legend.

UNI