New Delhi, June 22 : Five years have passed since the voice of ghazal legend Mehdi Hassan fell silent and his sons have now sought India’s help for building a mausoleum of their illustrious father in Pakistan and better upkeep of his grave.
After his death in Karachi on June 13, 2012, the Pakistan government as well as the provincial government of Sindh had promised to build a mausoleum in his memory but so far no progress has been made, they claim.
One of Hassan’s six sons Arif has requested the Indian government to help them out.
“After abba’s demise, the government had promised to build a library and mausoleum in his memory. Five years have passed and we are still waiting. Last week, we observed his fifth death anniversary,” Arif told PTI from Karachi.“We have run out of patience and so we request the Indian government to help us in building a mausoleum in Karachi as Hassan saab enjoyed a huge fan following across the border,” he said.
Hassan, the melodious voice behind evergreen hits like ‘Patta patta, boota boota’ and ‘Kab ke Bichhare’ and known as Shehanshah-e-Ghazal, was born on July 18, 1927, in Luna village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhnu district. Post-Partition, he and his family migrated to Pakistan. Arif also said his father’s grave is in a pathetic condition.“Only fencing work was done and that too after our tireless efforts. There is a lot of filth and sewage water there. Kids play cricket and people rear their goats in the area. It has also become a hub for anti-social elements which is a matter of concern,” he added.Close friend of the Hassan family and founder of artistbooking.com, Manmeet Singh, said several Indian artistes are ready to help.