A couple of weeks back, I wrote about a great artiste of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Iftikhar Qaiser, who died without being attended to. Now, another artiste, this time a famous singer, Gulzar Alam is being cornered by lack of support and sponsorship. He was even forced to sell chapli kabab to sustain himself. Perhaps those who have no time for art and culture have also forgotten about humanity. So, with terrorism rampant in that province, it has condemned a sterling artiste to leave his shores for a war-torn Afghanistan, where life could be even more hazardous. Alam made his debut in those times when only the best could make it. Top singers like Khyal Mohammad, Gulnar Begum, Gulzar Alam et al are blessed with the finest voices and brilliance, with an almost mystical delivery and great understanding of good poetry; such versatility has gone down today. If you listen to Alam’s Tappay and folk and traditional songs, you can never forget that experience, and yet, he is left to fend for himself. Just listen to his Da loyo loyo qudratono raba, and you’ll see what I mean; not only the pathos, but also the delivery of the poetry makes you feel what he is feeling in his heart. It sounds symbolic to current times. With our callous attitude towards arts and artistes, not just Alam, but other talented people will leave their home country to live else where and entertain others.