Lucknow : The controversy over the shifting of late Ustad Bismillah Khan’s shehnai to a Bangalore museum has acquired a new twist with two of his sons complaining that the maestro’s original instrument had been probably stolen.
While a report on September 8 said that Zamin Hussain, one of Bismillah’s five sons, had donated a shehnai and his snow white cap to the Centre for Indian Music Experience (CIME) in Bangalore, two other sons complained on Wednesday that the famed instrument was missing and had been stolen.
Bismillah had several instruments but his favourite was the one which he played at concerts. He was quite fond of this shehnai which he called Begum, and used to have it by his side when he slept. After his death, the shehnai was left in his room which remained locked.
The CIME had requested the family of Bismillah Khan in Varanasi that the instrument be permanently showcased at the instrument gallery of the first interactive music museum in Bangalore that is scheduled to be opened next year. Zamin had himself gone to Bangalore to hand over the instrument to them. However, it appears that there is disagreement among the maestro’s sons on whether the shehnai known as Begum was given to CIME or stolen.
Mehtab Hussain, the eldest son of Bismillah, was reported as saying that he remembered the shehnai was in his father’s room. The news of the missing shehnai came to light on Tuesday.
However, family members knew that the original shehnai was missing since 2009. That instrument was with Nayyar, maestro’s son who died in 2009. Since then, it had been untraceable, Mehtab said.
Another son Nazim Hussain said he became aware of the loss of the instrument only when he opened the room for getting it vacated for construction works. He alleged that several other items, besides the shehnai, were missing.
The original shehnai was locked in the room, he said, adding that he did not know which shehnai Zamin had donated to CIME since his father had several instruments.
Nazim demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case of the missing shehnai.
According to local reports, there is disagreement among the brothers over the plan to demolish a part of their ancestral house for commercial purpose. One of the sons is opposed to the move and wants the house to be preserved as a museum.
Ratan Mani Lal
