Pune: Stating that good music has the power to unite people, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on January 7 described the newly-constructed Savai Gandharva Memorial as a fitting tribute by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to his guru Savai Gandharva.

"Sangeet mein jodane ki shakti hai aur isme bhasha bhed nahi hai" (music has the power to unite people and is free of linguistic differences), Vajpayee said.

The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating the Rs 2.5 crore memorial constructed by Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal, whose president is renowned classical singer Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

Vajpayee said, "Yeh smarak ek mahan shishya ki, apne mahan guru ke liye gurudakshina hai" (this memorial is a gurudakshina by a great disciple to his great teacher).

"When Bhimsen Joshi invited me in September last year to inaugurate this memorial I told him that I will come provided you have the confidence that I will remain the Prime Minister of the country," Vajpayee said.

"This is because in politics you never know what is going to happen next moment," the Prime Minister said and looking at Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh asked, "Kyon Vilasraoji, main thik kah raha hun na (Am I not right Vilasrao)?"

The Prime Minister said, "I don't know why Joshi chose to invite me. Perhaps because I was born in Gwalior which is considered to be the main centre of music."

"There is a saying that when a child cries in Gwalior, he does so in ragas. Though I hail from Gwalior, I do not have the temerity to do that," he added jocularly.

Vajpayee said the Indian classical music will live forever and there was no danger to its existence.

The Prime Minister also lauded Joshi for his contribution in the field of music and especially for conducting the Savai Gandharva Mahotsav in the city since the last 50 years where artistes from different parts of the country take part every year.

PTI