Rock and Roll Jihad- Junoon- A must read if you want to follow your passion

Well,

Reading is integral part of my life. I do not remember how hundred books I have read since my childhood. With books, music are also integral part of my life. During my teenage, I used to buy every cassettes of my like. Zee Cine Awards announced in 1997 and with this, the Zee TV advertised a lot about performance of Junoon at its award function. To be very frank, I was not aware about Junoon and its song, from where this band is originated etc. At that time I was not even introduced to computer and I guess I was in 8th grade of a vernacular medium school of my town (A satellite city in Mumbai).

When I listened Sayyonee, I loved it. I bought the cassette by paying something INR 55 or 65 (I guess it was INR 65 with hardback cover and it was under label EMI). I listened the whole album and liked most of it including Yar Bina, Lal Meri Pat, Khudi, Kyon Pareshan hai tu, Meri Awaz Suno and Kisne Suna (I must admit, I did not like all the songs from this and other album). These songs are evergreen alongwith Dosti, Mitti, Ghoom Tana (Of course not the band album, it is of Salman Ahmad and Shubha Mudgal and only male version by Salman Ahmad), Bulleya, Ghoom, Ab to Jag (love it), pyar bina, Hiray etc.

I bought both Dosti and Parwaz cassettes too. Now I do not have any cassettes but even after 16 years, all these songs are still on my mobile and I listen them very often.

Co-incidentally, my life took many shapes. I learnt computer (somewhere in 2000-2001), graduated, got entry into human resources after failing into my venture in medical retail store as an owner and success as a trainer founder in a coaching institute and finally joining corporate world as human resources professional.

Last year, I coincidentally got connected to to Salman Ahmad (Junooni, passionate, human) through twitter. All these years I was wondering what happened to Junoon, why did it break and it made me constantly restless. I visited Junoon's website, searched a lot but never got a clear reply. On Twitter, I mentioned about Ghoom Tana and Salman Ahmad found it and replied me with thanks (Such an humble and great personality). He asked me to read Rock and Roll Jihad to know more about story behind making of Ghoom Tana and to know about Jihad.

I read the entire book, one by one many stories opened before me. It is one of the excellent book I have read in my life. (I got it from Flipkart.com). I got answer to my every question. This book tells about a person's passion, passion to love music, passion to chnage the world, passion to love own's own nation, passion to follow your dream. If you have a dream, if you have a passion- you must read it. If you love the Junoon, then you should definitely love it. if you are an NRI, NRP, NRN, NRA(Non Resident Asian) still love your nation, you must read it.

The Chapter one starts with the extremist face of Pakistan who without understanding what is music, wants to ban it. It tells how Salman faced the extremist behaviour in Pakistan and equally liberal people who are appreciating and loving music. It also tells how difficult it is for the people to understand the extremist face of religion which is non logical.

Chapter two tells about growing up of Salman in Pakistan. It also tells about how Pakistan divided into Shias and Sunnis due to political wrongdoingness and it really gives pain. What I believe is that religion is made for people and people are not made for religion.

Chapter 3 tells how travelling of Salman's family to different countries helped him to understand the world liberally and how it helps. I strongly believe one should travel a lot to understand the world.

I do not want to give here summary of every chapter that may make you bore rather I will focus on my understanding the book. Each line, each paragraph and each chapter of the book will make you curious to understand what next. The entire book tells us about entire life till now of Salman Ahmad, Vital Signs, Junaid Jamshed (I was never curious to know who is he but through this book only I came to know about VS, JJ etc). The book tell us that when the situation is adverse and your passion is just opposite of the social taboo and wrong orthodox thinking, it is not easy to follow it. But, you must follow your passion, you must put your everything for it and you will surely win. If you are in business and if you have done or doing a partnership business, you will understand after reading this book that how personal ego and jealously harm a business and friendship. It also tells you how to not become negative by such incidents and to move ahead in your life.

Its about fundamentalist and politician nexus

I am a politically inclined person and after reading this book, the worst face of Pakistani politics came before me. I thought at least Benazir Bhutto was better but in politics whether it is India or Pakistan, politicians can never be better. This book also tells how to stand on your principle and never to bow before a wrong person. This book guide us and takes to a long journey called passion, Junoon, struggle and one's love for mother land.

Its about love, its about corrupt police in Pakistan and its about two faces of Pakistani politician

When I read the love story of Salman and how he proposed Saima and finally got married the every line made me laugh and happy. Another most interesting part was how he and others falsely implicated by police when they went to vacate their grandmother's land. This exactly reminds the scene from Anupam Kher starrer movie Khosla ka Ghosla. Police first does not provide protection and arrives exactly when the lady who wrongly occupied land tear her clothes and blames Salman tried to rape her. I love this book particularly because first I wanted to know whole story of Junoon. Other than this it tells more about Pakistan, social and political condition there. Most important - This book encourage us to live our passion. We can live our multiple passion together. Salman's passion for guitar, his passion for music, his passion for peace, his passion for motherland, his passion for serving mankind. Now he is vigorously trying to change political scenario in Pakistan by helping Imran Khan. This book also tells that all Muslims are not the hard liner and there are who do not agree with Talibanis or such other terrorist group. This book will surely guide those intellectual Muslim youth who are misguided and misused by terrorist groups and politicians for their own benefit. You must read this book- To understand India, to understand Pakistan, To understand Junoon, To understand passion, To understand how to stand to your principle and to make your life what you feel.