International rock band U2 performed in India for the first time ever yesterday at DY Patil, Mumbai.

While the band is known for its popular music, it is also known for being socially and politically aware. 

In its recent concert in Mumbai, the band touched on topics like human rights violation and emphasized on giving peace a chance. 

The band also paid tribute to female icons of the country during their, ‘The Joshua Tree Tour 2019’ in Mumbai and put spotlight on Karuna Nundy, Arundhati Roy, Gauri Lankesh among others. 

The band also had a special segment, called ‘Herstory’ where the band projected pictures of different women on a giant screen at the backdrop of the stage while they played their popular song Ultraviolet. 

The pictures included photos of Kalpana Chawla, Karuna Nundy, Gauri Lankesh and Rana Ayyub among others. They also acknowledged the contribution of Greta Thunberg. 

Karuna Nundy thanked them for the gesture as well. 

Band’s main lead Bono also added, 

It’s a beautiful day when women are safe in their homes and walking the street. When sisters around the world are in schools with their brothers, that’s a beautiful day. When women of the world unite to rewrite history as ‘herstory’, that’s a beautiful day. 

Highlighting the security concern of women in the country, the band also showcased pictures from the recent protest march in Hyderabad after a young vet was raped and burnt to death.  

Academy award winner and composer A.R. Rahman along with his children too performed with the band. Rahman and U2 sang their new song, Ahimsa for the first time ever at the concert.