There is nothing war-like about music. There can never be. Even the most patriotic of songs carry melody and rhythm which means music is essentially (well, most of the time) about tender feelings.

These days a music competition show between Pakistani and Indian young singers can be seen on a local TV channel. The Pakistani vocalists are captained by Atif Aslam while Himesh Reshamya is the skipper of the Indian side. The panel of judges comprises legends Abida Parveen, Runa Laila and none other than Asha Bhosle.

If on the one hand it is such auditory delight listening to the young, mellifluous voices from both countries, on the other hand the unnecessary theatrics and war lingo between Himesh R and Atif A mars the whole charm of the show. It is understandable that the programme has to have some kind of drama in it, but not all the time. They could use it sparingly. And why does an India-Pakistan meet always have to be confrontational? Couldn’t the organisers of the gig think of a peaceful way to judge each other’s upcoming talent?