Kailash Kher: People in meerut may be aggressive, but are good at heart

Meerut-born singer Kailash Kher proudly calls himself the warrior boy from Meerut. He has fond memories of the city, where he spent a part of his childhood. He said, “I was born in Meerut and lived there till the age of six, after which our family shifted to Delhi. I have some beautiful memories of Meerut that will remain etched in my heart forever.I grew up in a small village on the outskirts of the main city. We would play in the fields with friends and cousins. Ganna tod ke khate thay kheton se, patang udate thay chhat par, chulhe ki roti aur ghar ka ghee ...woh din main kabhi nahi bhool sakta.”
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Telling us more about his childhood days, Kher said, “I have grasped each and every thing from this city. During school holidays, we would visit our relative’s house in the main city near PAC. I used to play with my cousins near the cantonment area. Meerut is popularly known as the land of warriors. Azadi ki ladai bhi toh Meerut se hi shuru hui thi. I feel lucky to have been born in a place which has such a rich historical background. I remember a story my uncle narrated to me about Mall Road, which is popularly known as Thandi Sadak. He told me that during the struggle for Independence, the entire road was washed every day with tankers full of water because the general would pass through that road every day. Woh sadak itni thandi ho jaati thi ki uss sadak ka naam hi pad gaya – Thandi Sadak.”
Kailash also said that his birth place has changed a lot over the years. He added, “Now you see more high rise buildings across the city. Kitna kuch badal gaya hai iss sheher mein – malls, wide roads, lifestyle. Whenever I pass by Meerut through the highway, I can see the development that has happened here. I miss the green patches of land though, jisme ganne aur sarson dikhte thay.”
Talking about the people, the singer said, “People say ki Meerut ke log bade rough hote hain, lekin sachhai yeh hai ki woh log bahut hi emotional hote hain. All I would say is – jisko bhi chaha, bahut toot ke chaha, hai wahi baat iss jagah mein. Woh zameen se jude hue log hain. They are rooted and understand their values. Koi Meerut waalon se dosti kar le toh unke jaisi mohabbat koi nahi de sakta. People are energetic, strong and a bit aggressive, but they are good at heart.”
“I feel very proud when I hear about people from Meerut who have achieved fame and recognition,” he added, “I remember an incident when I had gone to watch the IPL match in Mumbai when I met cricketer Praveen Kumar. He introduced himself saying, ‘Hum aapke sheher se hi hain bhai.’ Mujhe bahut garv hua usey dekh kar. Not just that, Praveen also told me that the best cricket bats are manufactured in Meerut and most of the top players use the bats manufactured here. When I hear such things, I not only feel proud but also feel like part of the family. I would love to bring my wife Sheetal and son Kabir to Meerut one day. Main chahta hoon ki woh jaane mera janam kahan hua. I remember, once I had shown my passport at an international airport and the officer asked me about Meerut. I proudly told him that it’s the land of warriors in India.”
However, the singer hasn’t got a chance to perform in the city. He said, “I would love to perform here one day. Somehow, I haven’t got the chance to do any show in Meerut. Not just perform, I would even love to compose a song on Meerut someday.”
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