Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar has declared that she won’t celebrate her 87th birthday on 28th September, as 18 Indian soldiers recently died “so brutally in Uri”. She is very much depressed by the darkness all around, including the deteriorating relations with Pakistan. But she hopes that they stay happy and live in peace.

The September 18 terror attack left 18 Indian soldiers dead at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. So, this year Lata Mangeshkar won’t celebrate her birthday. She said, “Not when our soldiers have died so brutally in Uri. My sincere request to my well-wishers, please don’t waste money buying me flowers. Instead send money to the bereaved family of martyrs. Jo shaheed huey hain unki zaraa yaad karo qurbani” .

There is hatred all around the world, especially between India and the neighbours. As a message to her fans, Lata said, “Everything has changed. Human beings and even the climate is now unpredictable. Extreme weather conditions play havoc with our lives. I am deeply saddened to see children suffer in natural calamities and during war.”

She said as a solution, “I don’t know if I am qualified to comment on such matters. But yes, I do wonder why nations don’t keep their own house in order instead of creating havoc in others’ domain. Why hurl bombs at nations? Hatred kills. Why not work on making our own country beautiful?”

She mentioned the example of Switzerland as an idyllic state of existence. “Switzerland is considered the most peaceful country in the world. Why? Because they’ve concentrated on making their own country better and more developed and they do not look at other countries to harm them. We never hear of violence perpetrated by the Swiss.”

Also Read: Reign of Terror: Suicide squad killed 17 soldiers, Uri, J&K

By Prakriti Neogi