New Delhi: Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam made an appeal to politicians after his performance at the ‘Rising Rajasthan’ summit, where he witnessed the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal Sharma and other dignitaries depart midway through his show, triggering a mass departure of attendees.
Nigam urged them to show greater respect for artists by refraining from attending performances if they are unable to stay until the end.
In an emotional video posted on Instagram, Nigam expressed his disappointment and frustration. He recounted the event, highlighting the presence of numerous delegates from across the globe, including the Chief Minister, Youth Minister, and Sports Minister, from Rajasthan. Nigam described the sudden departure of the CM and other high-ranking officials as deeply disrespectful, not only to himself but to the art of music and to all artists. He questioned the value placed on artists if such behaviour is deemed acceptable.
In the video, Sonu is heard speaking in Hindi, where he said, “Delegates came from all over the world to enhance the pride of Rajasthan. There was a CM, a youth minister, a sports minister. There were a lot of people. I could not see all of them in the dark. There were a lot of people.”
“In the middle of the show, I saw that the CM and the rest of the people left. As soon as they left, all the delegates also left. I have a request to all politicians, if you do not respect your artists, then what will the people outside do?”
He drew a parallel with the respect afforded to performing artists in other countries, using the example of the US President never leaving a performance midway. “I have never seen the President of the US leaving the show in the middle if the artist is performing,” he said.
He emphasised the significance of showing respect for artists, particularly considering the countless hours of dedication and hard work that go into each performance. This lack of consideration, according to Nigam, amounts to an insult to the divine patroness of the arts, Maa Saraswati.
He proposed a simple solution, “politicians should either not attend performances at all if they cannot commit to staying until the end or should leave before the show begins”.
This isn’t about wasting time, he stated, it’s about respecting the art and the artists who dedicate their lives to it. “I have a request to all of you. If you have to leave, then do not come. Or leave before the show starts. Leaving in the middle of an artist’s performance is very disrespectful. This is an insult to Saraswati. I have a request for you, if you have to leave, then leave before the show starts. Do not sit. You are great. You have a lot of work. You handle all the responsibilities. You should not waste your time on a show. You should leave early. Thank you. It’s a humble request.” he added.
He further revealed receiving numerous messages urging him to avoid performing for politicians given their demonstrated disrespect. In a subtly satirical tone, he echoed the sentiment, suggesting politicians, due to their busy nature and heavy responsibilities, should perhaps avoid attending shows altogether to avoid such situations.
“I got a lot of messages from people that you should not perform in front of the politicians, if they leave the leave it’s disrespectful for the artist,” he added saying satirical way ” I know you are busy and have a lot of responsibility and look after a lot of things, so you should avoid attending shows and not waste your time”.
