Muslim Vanishes

<p>The great poet Ghalib part of a long tradition of eclectic liberalism found Benaras so compelling that he wrote his longest poem on the holy city 'Chiragh-e-Dair' (<i>Mandir Ka Diya </i>or Lamp in the Temple): <br><i>'Ibadat khaana-e-naaqoosian ast </i> <br><i>Hama na Kaaba-e-Hindostan ast. </i> <p/> <br> (Devotees make searing music with conch shells <br> This truly is the Kaaba of Hindustan.) <p/> Take Ghalib and his myriad followers out of the equation. Will Hindustan be left with a gaping hole or become something quite new? <i>The Muslim Vanishes</i> a play by Saeed Naqvi attempts to answer that question. <br> Caste the Hindu-Muslim divide Pakistan-Kashmir-decibel levels on these subjects are too high with each side fiercely defending their own narratives for a conversation to take place. What is the way out of this trap? <br> Razor-sharp gentle and funny Saeed Naqvi falls back on a combination of grandma's bedside stories Aesop's fables and Mullah Nasruddin's feigned foibles to spring an inspired surprise on us. Can it douse the flames?</p>