Amid ceasefire, Kashmiri singer's Marathi devotional songs calls for peace

Time of India

11-05-2025

Just as India and Pakistan announce a ceasefire after days of cross-border strikes and rising tensions, a young
's prayer for
is resonating far beyond the valley.
from a village in Bandipora near Srinagar, has been winning hearts with her soul-stirring renditions of Marathi bhajans and devotional songs, particularly
, a centuries-old prayer for universal peace by Sant Dnyaneshwar.The talented 30-year-old received a standing ovation from the audience, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP president Sharad Pawar among them, at the inaugural ceremony of the 98th Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi in Feb.
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In fact, Pawar was so impressed by Shamima's rendition of the state's song 'Jai Jai Maharashtra' that he insisted she close the session with a Pasaydan, a prayer for world peace by Sant Dnyaneshwar. Her soulful rendition of Marathi songs left everyone, including Modi, spellbound."Presenting Pasaydan was not part of the original schedule, but Pawarsahab said the session must end with it. Modiji was scheduled to spend 45 minutes, but he sat for two hours till the session ended with Shamima's electrifying singing of a Pasaydan," recalled Sanjay Nahar, Shamima's mentor and founder of the Pune-based NGO Sarhad, which educates children from terror-hit regions.Founded in 1998, Sarhad discovered the shy Akhtar and helped her not just hone her skill but emerge as a major musical voice from the valley, spreading the message of peace and love through music. "Music knows no boundaries. My Marathi songs and bhajans are popular not only in Marathi homes, but even in Pakistan and Bangladesh," says Akhtar on the phone from her home in Kashmir, where she returned a few days after the Pahalgam terror attack."The barbaric killing of innocent tourists made me numb. Normalcy returned, and the valley was getting flooded with tourists. After the Pahalgam massacre, I felt a little insecure, and even Sanjay Sir suggested I go home till things normalise," she said a few days before the India-Pakistan conflict escalated.Shamima first visited Pune in 2017 as a participant in the annual Kashmir festival. "Many of my friends were already at Sarhad, and they introduced me to Sanjay Sir. I couldn't have found a better platform than Sarhad to learn, experiment, and grow with my passion for music," says Akhtar, who carries a legacy of music. Born into a family with a strong tradition of music and poetry—her paternal grandfather was one of the finest Rabab players in Kashmir, while her maternal grandfather was a Sufi saint, and her maternal grandmother wrote poetry.What sharpened her singing, she admits, is her education. A graduate in music from Bhatkhande Music University, Lucknow, and later a Visharad or Master's in Hindustani classical music, she dived deep into the fascinating but also complex world of music, learning not just the notes but digesting different surs and ragas. It was at Bhatkhande Music University where she also met and befriended her future husband — her senior, Mazhar Siddiqui."I found a spark in Shamima. She radiated a musical light that comes from Kashmir, which has a long Sufi music tradition," says Siddiqui, who comes from a famous music gharana in Lucknow and is also associated with Sarhad Music. Together, they have helped Sarhad establish two studios. With help from Nahar, the husband-wife team has created Gaash (light in Kashmiri), a popular band.Now that Shamima is getting accolades, Nahar sees his dream coming true. "My idea was to take children out from terror-hit areas and give guitars in their hands instead of guns. When I see students like Shamima and her sister Ruqaiyya playing guitar and scaling heights with their singing, I feel my dreams coming true," says Nahar, whose dream of founding a music university remains unfulfilled.