Collaborating with sons Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangesh for a January 26 project, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has revisited a revered hymn of Mahatma Gandhi. Vaishnav janato, says Khan, was the ideal track to further Gandhi’s message of compassion, an essential that he says is lacking in this modern day and age.

“Looking at the situation of the world, where everyone is ready to hurt and kill the other, we wanted this message of love to reach everyone all over the globe. Gandhi, like all our freedom fighters, is a symbol of India. I feel sad that the education [we have received] couldn’t make us compassionate individuals. Education has to be redefined to focus on compassion.  The gun culture in America needs to be abolished, and I appeal to President Joe Biden to do so. The world should realise that we have to help each other, and togetherness is our biggest strength,” says the Sarod player.