Guess who’s penning a song for Gorkhaland

Tamang, now an actor-singer in the Nepal film industry, says he “strongly backs” the call for a separate state and that he plans to “write and sing” a song for Gorkhaland.

Prashant Tamang

The year was 2007 and Darjeeling was on the edge. It was quite unlike the current unrest, though — that year, Prashant Tamang, a 24-year-old constable with Kolkata Police, had entered the finals of the singing reality show, Indian Idol.

It was the first time a Gorkha had captured the national imagination and Bimal Gurung, then a leader with Subhas Ghising’s Gorkha National Liberation Front, whipped up hysteria in the Hills, holding rallies, collecting funds and exhorting people to cast their audience votes for “pahar ka gaurav (pride of the Hills)”. Eventually, Tamang won the contest and Gurung launched his statehood politics with his newly formed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

A decade later, with Darjeeling in turmoil, Tamang, now an actor-singer in the Nepal film industry, says he “strongly backs” the call for a separate state and that he plans to “write and sing” a song for Gorkhaland. “What I am today is because of the people of the Hills,” says Tamang, on the phone from Delhi.

His success in Indian Idol catapulted Tamang to dizzying heights of fame as he went on world tours, released two albums and worked in half a dozen Nepali films. He later moved to Nepal and then Kolkata. Tamang and his mother recently shifted to Delhi to be with his wife, who works for a private airline based in the city.

“I feel sad. Is Darjeeling a war zone? Or the border? Why are Army and central forces being sent there? The struggle for Gorkhaland cannot be stopped. Will you keep quiet if your mother is lathicharged?”

Many family members, including his sister, are still in Darjeeling.

At her home in Nimkidara, a village in Darjeeling, Tamang’s elder sister Anupama Gurung says her brother’s win in the reality show not only changed his life, but that of Gorkhaland.

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“Everyone in the Hills supported him and sent thousands of SMSes in his support. He began to be identified with Gorkha pride,” says Anupama, whose husband Shivakumar, a retired Army man, now runs a car business in Darjeeling. “We do not understand politics, but we are for a separate state,” he says.

Ravik Bhattacharya

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

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