Shubhendra Rao accuses airline of breaking his sitar

Celebrated Indian classical musician Shubhendra Rao on Friday night took to social media and accused Air India of breaking his sitar.

Rao accused the airline of mishandling his sitar and said, “the staff should be sensitised on how to handle the music instruments.”

In a lengthy Facebook post he said, “There it happens again! My Sitar has been vandalised once again, this time by our own #AirIndia!! Just arrived in New York to perform at the #VedicHeritageInc and this is how my Sitar has arrived. How can anyone be so ruthless and insensitive?” “For sure, this has been slit open because there is no way the sitar would break in this fashion. I know many people will come out in support and suggest many things but the simple truth is that airlines and their staff need to be sensitised towards how to handle music instruments.”

Rao said that neither AI, nor the Chairman and not even the minister of Civil Aviation or anyone from the ministry has contacted him. Last November, Rao had a similar experience while he was travelling to Sydney from Delhi for a concert when his sitar was damaged by another airline.