"Don't Be So Narrow-Minded": Supreme Court On Plea To Ban Pak Artists In India

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a complete ban on artistes from Pakistan to perform or work in India, and asked the petitioner not to be "so narrow-minded".

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said it was not inclined to interfere with the Bombay High Court order which junked the plea filed by Faaiz Anwar Qureshi, who claims to be a cine worker and artiste.

"You should not press this appeal. Do not be so narrow-minded," the bench said.

The top court also refused the submission to expunge certain remarks made by the high court against the petitioner.

The petition had sought the court's direction to the central government to impose a complete ban on Indian citizens, companies, firms and associations from employing or soliciting any work or performance, taking of any services, or entering into any association and so on with any Pakistani artiste, including its cine workers, singers, musicians, lyricists and technicians.

The Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition, saying the reliefs it seeks is a retrograde step in promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace, and has no merit in it.

"One must understand that in order to be a patriot, one need not be inimical to those from abroad especially, from the neighbouring country," the court had said.

"A true patriot is a person who is selfless, who is devoted to the cause of his country, which he cannot be unless he is a person who is good at heart. A person who is good at heart would welcome in his country any activity which promotes peace, harmony, and tranquillity within the country and across the border," it had said.

Arts, music, sports, culture, dance and so on are the activities which rise above nationalities, cultures and nations, and truly bring about peace, tranquillity, unity and harmony in nation and between nations, the high court had said in its order.

It had noted that in the Cricket World Cup, Pakistan was a participant. This happened only because of appreciable positive steps taken by the Indian government in the interest of overall peace and harmony in consonance with Article 51 of the Constitution of India which is about promotion of international peace and security, the high court had said.

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