When peace took centre stage

The stage inside Dilli Haat proved to be a pristine setting for a pleasant evening and an even more entertaining event that captured the imagination of many a person in the market place over the weekend.

Pravah, a city-based organisation that has been a pillar of perennial support to the youth of Delhi ever since the attacks on Babri Masjid, organised the event ‘Music for Harmony’ or ‘M4H’ to show solidarity against any and all forms of violence. The day-long fest was a culmination of various art forms presented not only by known artistes; but also by equally talented albeit lesser privileged groups of society.

To make the event impactful and engaging, a variety of activities like open stage, photography exhibition, street plays, interactive stalls, photo galleries, narrating inspiring stories as young harbingers of change were part of the  day’s festivities.

The stage was graced by youth groups such as Mohalla Bol Natak Mandli, children from Andhra School, as well as musical acts like Manzil Mystics, Burmese Refugee Youth Group
and bands like The Mechanics, Menwhopause and Advaita.

“Normally we do not come out for performances to any and every place but this is a cause that we relate to very strongly. Music is the strongest medium to reach people and instil a sense of change, reassurance and belief, something we believe our times need in huge amount” said Advaita guitarist, Abhishek Mathur to Metrolife.

“We feel that even if 20 or 30 people come here and get touched by the performances and the underlying message that we want to spread and subsequently take it forward, then the world can be a better place. Change does not start at the desk of a politician. It starts with us” Mathur said after their performance, as the crowd converged to
light candles and sky lanterns while singing “We shall overcome”.

In a world marred by unrest and animosity, the tireless volunteers of Pravah put in hours of work to bring a creative platform to establish peace as not only an option but
a necessity.

“Music for harmony is a youth-led event which aims to create a platform to demonstrate how diversity can create beautiful rhythms in music and in life. The different genres of music bring people, young and old, from different walks of life to one stage. Social inclusion is the need of the hour in India and the world. This effort, which started in the year 2002, is an overwhelming one on the part of all the participants and all of us at Pravah to keep celebrating peace and all that it brings with it,” said Neha Buch, CEO of Pravah, while a touching audio-visual was presented to the crowd. With the seeds of such wishful thinking embedded in the minds of the people at Pravah, we can certainly
expect a better world in the making.