A song written and composed by a 26-year-old singer-songwriter in Lahore has gone viral on the internet. Imran Hashmi’s music video Hum Tere Sath Hai (We are with you), penned to express his solidarity with the people of India as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic has resonated worldwide.
“I was shaken to the core as I watched on television the worsening situation in India and the destruction coronavirus was leaving in its path,” he said in an interview with Michael Gomes (India Covid crisis: Pakistani singer pours his heart out to show solidarity – Khaleej Times, May 2, 2021)
In the month of Ramzan, a time for compassion, he said, “wanted to show our neighbours that we stand with them in their hour of need.”
The song has received nearly 80,000 views since he posted it to his official YouTube channel April 30, 2021.
Hashmi said that with his music he has taken a step towards his dream of becoming an ambassador of peace between Pakistan and India.
“I might be a random boy from Lahore, but I believe through my music I can spread the message of peace across the border and I’m also expecting them to reciprocate in the same way. I feel humbled to know my message of love and peace in my song is now being spread across the world and I am also glad to know that Pakistan is being seen as a peace-loving nation.”
Life has not always been easy for Hashmi as a musician. Artistes don’t have many options or incentives to earn a living, he said. “I’ve been through hard times, but I have somehow managed to make a living by teaching music.”
During the lockdown last year, Hashmi wrote and composed a song in tribute to Covid-19 frontline workers — doctors, paramedics and healthcare workers who have “played a vital role during this humanitarian crisis.” His song Tujhe Salam (Salute to you) was well received around the world.
He said he has always supported peace and humanity. “I believe it is very easy to spread hatred, but to spread love, it surely takes a lot of effort, and I’m doing my bit through my music.”
The lyrics of Hum Tere Sath Hain focus on harmony, brotherhood and oneness. “We all are Indus people (Indus Valley civilisation), people of the same blood, same genome. If one of us gets hurt, all of us feel the same pain. This song is my humble tribute to show our neighbours that we are there for them, that we care, that we will never leave them during hard times,” said Hashmi.
“My little effort maybe just a drop in the ocean, but I’m sure that one day, even this little drop will show us how to love each other, just like when we were together. May God bless us all and help us through these difficult times,” he concluded.
— Thanks to Michael Gomes: India Covid crisis: Pakistani singer pours his heart out to show solidarity, report in Khaleej Times, May 2, 2021
