Carnatic Music is an ancient musical tradition that exists in Southern India. Originally practiced by Devadasis or Temple dancers, the musical tradition also includes within it . composers  ( mainly from the Brahmin Caste) who used it to express their devotion to God. Devotion or "Bhakti"  ,  over the years became the main spirit behind  this form of music. 

The recent years have seen this musical tradition becoming more and more exclusionary as the Brahmin Caste began to appropriate it. Most of the musicians are Brahmins as also music teachers. It has almost became a defining feature of the South Indian Brahmin community..Aspiring learners of Carnatic Music from other castes and relgions have experienced  subtle forms of discrimination where music teachers have not been open to taking them into their classes ( or if they did then treating them differently). 

However, in recent times there have been efforts to make this musical form more inclusive where Christian priests began to incorporate lyrics around Christianity into the music. Some of the popular and progressive, Carnatic musicians have supported these efforts and have sung traditional  devotional songs (or Keertanas as they are called) with lyrics that have replaced words like "Rama"  "Krishna" with "Yesu" or Jesus. This is laudable as music knows no religion!

However there has been efforts made ( including  a petition through Change.org)  to condemn and boycott these musicians because they have supposedly "polluted" this "Hindu" tradition of music by opening it up compositions of the Saint Thyagaraya to Christianity..

Nearly 10,800 people have signed this awful petition that has unfortunately used this progressive Change.org forum !!! This is a counter petition. Please CREATE AWARENESS about such forms of exclusion and discrimination . Music does not belong to any religion.. It is all pervasive!