Bangla music channel off air: Holler or hoot!

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Just the other day, the popular Paschimbanga music channel, in its phone-in live morning programme, showcased Rita Ganguly, an elderly classical singer, who took music lessons from the legendary Begum Akhter.
As has been pointed out earlier by this writer in your esteemed daily, once again the channel showed the indifference with which it holds the Muslim tradition of saying Salam before commencing a conversation especially with someone held in high esteem.
The anchor of Aaj Shakaler Amantrone on that day belittled the revered classical singer in front of the Bangladeshi audience by denying the caller, Mr Siddiky, the first to be put through for requesting a song, only because he said Salam as a mark of respect to the singer. Rita Ganguly herself responded with at least Walikum to the caller, but the name Iqbal Siddiky confused her so much so that she spoke in chaste Urdu to Mr Siddiky, who was sent packing home by that time.
The anchor gave a stern look at the camera, clasped her hands and said Namaskar breaking it down to its syllables, as if to give Mr Siddiky a cue. But the programme producers thought better of it and snapped the telephone line for good.
Rita Ganguly, as a classical singer of repute, deserves the utmost respect from her audience of all denominations and of course in their best of traditions.
Many Hindu callers from India, USA and Canada are content with saying Shuvo Shakal or Shuvo Sandha as the case may be, instead of replying to the Namaskar of the anchors of the programme.
Why single out Iqbal Siddiky?
Although Hindus and Muslims have lived side by side in the Sub-continent for hundreds of years very little of the Muslim traditions seems to hold any meaning to the other side even today. I wonder if it is our failure to make the Indian Hindu community, especially that of Paschimbanga, realise that a good Bengali can also be a good Muslim.
Now that the popular music channel is off air since Wednesday morning it is up to the fans to either holler or hoot.
Abu Sulaiman
Alubazar, Dhaka