Amidst the clamour over the rising intolerance in the country, famous Pakistani singer Adnan Sami, who requested to stay in India on humanitarian grounds earlier this year, says that he wouldn’t have sought Indian citizenship if there was such an issue.
“If there was intolerance in the country, would I have asked for citizenship in the country? I believe actions speak louder than words,” said Sami.
Sami was granted permission to stay in India in August. The singer, who came to India on a visitor’s visa, had been staying in the country since March 2001.
When asked about his role in fostering India-Pakistan relations, Sami said that as a singer, his “job is to create music and harmony”.
“I am a singer; my job is to create music and harmony. Wherever I see harmony, I would go towards there. There is nothing more beautiful for a musician to listen and see harmony. And if such a thing can happen, I like more than a billion people here would love it,” he added.
The singer, who shot to mainstream popularity in India with hit songs like ‘Kabhi to nazar milao’ and ‘Lift karaa de’, says that the love he has received from the citizens here is “everything” for him.
“When my first album came out, it wasn’t Bollywood. The love that I received from people was everything and it still is everything for me. After 16 years, it is not just the land where I work, but also my home and my love,” Sami said.
“Today, I feel proud when a good thing happens in the country. If there is a new airport in Mumbai, I would feel proud about it, and I equally feel angry when I see potholes,” he added.
