Author: Priyanka Dasgupta
Publication: The Times of India
Date: September 1, 2006
Aasish Khan, son of sarod maestro Ustad Ali
Akbar Khan, has embraced Hinduism, sparking a debate and prompting his distraught
84-year-old father to tell TOI that his son has besmirched the name of their
illustrious family.
Aasish, who has changed his surname to Debsharma
in an affidavit on August 19, claims his family was never really Muslim. "We
were originally Brahmins and used the surname Debsharma," said Aasish.
"My great grandfather Sadananda Debsharma took the title of Khan, which
is not a surname and is used by Hindus and Christians ... due to compulsions.
We never converted to Islam."
An anguished Ali Akbar Khan told TOI in an
e-mail from the US where he has settled down, "I do not support his (Aasish's)
choice. Unfortunately, many statements made by my son in the newspaper regarding
the history of my family are incorrect. My family has been Muslim for many
generations, and we will remain Muslims. It's a shame that he is trying to
reinvent the history of our family and in turn hurting past generations of
our family."
Aasish claimed his family even prayed to goddesses
Kali and Saraswati. He said he was never asked to follow Islamic rituals or
offer namaz and his grandfather had given Hindu names to him and his siblings-Dhyanesh,
Pranesh and Amaresh.
"Staunch Muslims have opposed my decision,"
he said. "They did not realise we were never converted to Islam. I would
like to make it clear that the only religion our family believes in is music.
However, my father has supported my decision to take up this 'family',"
said the 60-something Aasish.
