A forgotten song

He died unsung. His achievements are lost. I am talking about Jagmohan. Don’t ask me who Jagmohan was. He was the noted singer of the f...

He died unsung. His achievements are lost. I am talking about Jagmohan. Don’t ask me who Jagmohan was. He was the noted singer of the freedom movement, who once used to fill the young and the revolutionary with enthusiasm and ardour. He passed away at the age of 85 in Mumbai in the second week of September, unnoticed.

Jagmohan was a singer, a patriot and a nationalist. He was perhaps the only singer who took an active part in the freedom movement. If he was the singer for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, he was also beloved to Mahatma Gandhi. It was the affection Gandhi had for him that turned Jaganmay Mitra into Jagmohan. Gandhi affectionately called him Jagmohan. His albums ‘Gandhiji ki jai’ and ‘Netaji ki jai’ resound with his long and affectionate association with both leaders.

Bose’s Indian National Army got a fillip with the songs Jagmohan laced with his inimitable patriotic zeal. The fiery speech and towering personality of Bose coupled with the songs of Jagmohan boosted the morale of the Azad Hind Fauj. The famous song of the INA ‘Kadam kadam badhaye jaa/ Khushi ke geet gaye jaa/ Yeh zindagi hai quom ki/ Tu quom pe lutaye jaa’ was sung by none other than Jagmohan. This song had a magical effect on the young. Almost all the songs of the INA were sung by Jagmohan. To him, nothing was more dear than the nation and his love for the nation can be felt from the fact that on August 15 1947 when the country was enthusiastically celebrating Independence, his songs were being played from the ramparts of Red Fort.

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He came into close contact with Rabindranath Tagore and under his direction, recorded the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and ‘Vande Matram’. Under his guidance, he learnt the intricacies of Rabindra Sangeet.

He took the formal training of dhrupad, thumri and tappa etc. and mastered the classical genre. He established himself as one of the finest exponents of khayal gayaki. In 1945, he was honoured with the ‘Sursagar Upadhi’, a rare honour. Before him, only Punkaj Mullick had been honoured with this Upadhi. Jagmohan also sang the lyrics of Najrul Islam.

In 1946, when horrifying communal riots broke out in Noakhali, Jagmohan offered his services by singing patriotic songs and collected huge funds. Those funds were distributed to riot victims. During the Emergency he visited Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan in jail and overwhelmed him by singing patriotic songs. His contributions in the field of music are invaluable. His songs ‘Ek bar muskura do’ and ‘Dil deke dard liya maine’ are still milestones.

Jagmohan remained in oblivion for the past several years. The singer died unsung.

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