By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it, we hung our harps.
The poignant verses from Psalm 137 in the Bible’s Old Testament echo the lament of men, women and children forced to leave their homes centuries ago. Like the lamentations in the psalm, nadaswaram maestro Yazhpanam P.S. Balamurugan was also forcefully displaced once.
As a teenager, he, too, had shed tears, wondering whether a curse hung over him and his people—the Sri Lankan Tamils. However, even while growing up during the Civil War, Balamurugan never hung up his double reed wind instrument.
“When I was 15, our family had to flee our house in Nallur,” recalls Balamurugan. “For nearly six months, we lived in a place that was 30km away from our village. We lived in temporary sheds; we did not have any money, and had almost nothing to eat.” Even in that situation, his father, Suppuswami Pillai, insisted that he practise the nadaswaram. “He believed that if I managed to stay alive, this music would be the key to sustaining myself and making a living,” he says. “I obeyed him.”
Born in 1980, Balamurugan belongs to a generation that bore the brunt of the devastating civil war in the island nation. Witnessing death and bloodshed was almost a daily affair. For the first 22 years of his life, he hardly travelled outside Jaffna. Today, he is a globetrotter and one of the most sought-after musicians worldwide. He has a soft corner for south India for its knowledge and appreciation of Carnatic music.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin December 24, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin December 24, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Indira's Bang
How Indira Gandhi secured the borders, ended food import, before going for the test
Who's Afraid Of A New Nuclear Doctrine?
It has been 50 years since Pokhran I. With its capabilities increasing and global power equations changing, does India need to look at reviewing its nuclear doctrine?
I don't think things will change because of the win
When independent filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light scripted history by winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, it was not just a proud moment for the film's team, but also a triumph for the collective aspirations of women across the country.
Sid for kids
As a child, Sidhartha Mallya wished he had someone in his life to tell him what he wants to convey in his latest children's book, Sad Glad
Ready to roll
Following the Pokhran tests, India has operationalised a credible deterrent that the nation should be proud of
Breaking nuclear apartheid
How India protected its ability to move ahead with the nuclear weapons programme despite not signing the NPT
Power point
The Pokhran tests launched India's march towards being a full partner and participant in the global nuclear order
Shock and awe
India’s comprehensive capability in the nuclear domain is the result of its autonomous pursuit of the atomic programme against all odds
Spied on none, stole from none
A senior scientist during the Pokhran test in 1974 and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission during the tests in 1998, Dr Rajagopala Chidambaram has been a key figure in the Indian nuclear journey.
Leader with a difference
ARVIND KEJRIWAL'S RETURN TO JAIL APPEARS IMMINENT. BUT HIS BLISTERING POLL CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE BRIGHTENED INDIA BLOC’S PROSPECTS