On the 2nd of January 2023 I attended a concert at the Raghavendra Swami mutt in slough. The concert consisted of a young vocalist and an extremely talented veena player. I have been to many Carnatic concerts however this was one of my favourites!

The destruction of a musician's wooden instruments at the hands of US customs, on the grounds that they are agricultural products and thus pose a biological hazard to native species, poses a grave question to musicians the world over: is there any justification on which an instrument that forms a key part to someone's livelihood can be destroyed because of what it is made of?

Issues with commitment and hard work may be more accurate...