The President advised the Army Chief that music in the Indian Army should be developed on the basis of Indian music. British marching tunes had remained the mainstay of the brass bands and pipes-and-drums ensembles of the Indian Army, though Indian tunes were gradually being developed by Army musicians. However, these too were played on foreign instruments, and Indian instruments like sitar, santoor, mridangam, etc., were not considered conducive to them at the time. That I think is bad in itself and it is also bad because its influence on Indian music will then cease,” wrote Nehru. It is not quite clear to me how this can be replaced by some form of Indian music,” said Nehru.

Source: Indian Express January 25, 2026 11:59 UTC