Two valleys, one voice

The two valleys, in fact, have not been on speaking terms8212;literally8212;for decades. The demand for leaving out Barak Valley from the sate during the prime of the Assam agitation during 1979-85 is something neither side has forgotten. 8216;8216;While politicians always tried to divide the people of the two valleys for their convenience, it was for the first time that Barak and Brahmaputra joined hands and that too for a wonderful cause where the prestige of the state was at stake,8217;8217; read one of the hundreds of letters from readers that have been pouring into newspaper offices in Assam. 8216;8216;That music is a great unifier was proved by Debojit when the people of the Barak and Brahmaputra Valleys buried all their differences to stand unitedly behind him,8217;8217; wrote another reader.

Debojit acknowledges the student body8217;s role in his success. 8216;8216;I was suprised by the way in which the students8217; union campaigned for me. I had never met them before. But I will never ever forget in my life the the manner in which the AASU welcomed me in Guwahati,8217;8217; said Debojit.

AS Debojit emerged a major contender in Zee TV8217;s long-running singing talent show, Assam started taking notice. Votes for him began pouring from the state. But it was only when he was in the last four stages that things really hotted up. A comment by someone in the audience that she wanted to listen to the Voice of India and not the Voice of Assam, triggered a wave of anger in his home state. 8216;8216;If Hemchandra of Hyderabad or Vinit of Lucknow can contest for India8217;s voice, so can Debojit of Assam. After all, Assam is also an integral part of India,8217;8217; thundered Samujjal Bhattacharyya, the influential advisor of AASU.

The AASU took up Debojit8217;s cause, appealing to the people of Assam to sms their votes for Debojit. He came out the winner with over 2.77 crore votes, which even included a vote each from Assam8217;s chief minister Tarun Gogoi and wife Dolly.

8216;8216;Debojit, like most other talents from the Northeast, was almost pushed out by the Hindi lobby, had it not been for the overwhelming support of the people of the region,8217;8217; adds Bhattacharyya.

There were other troubles as well. A statement issued by Zee TV said that it had received a call from Assam where the caller identified himself as a leader of the ULFA and threatened that things would go wrong if Debojit was not made the winner. Though the ULFA refused to comment, reports say it was no more than a prank.

But things finally worked out for the 29-year-old civil engineer who quit his government job three years ago and moved to Mumbai to concentrate on his singing.

More than a week after his success, newspapers in Assam are still full of his win, holding him up as a model for the region. The sentiment expressed by Apurba Kumar Das, a veteran art and music critic, in his popular column in The Assam Tribune sums up the state8217;s feelings pretty much. 8216;8216;Debojit8217;s success has sent a message to the youth of the Northeast that if one has determination and dedication, one can reach the top. Besides bringing glory for Assam he has been able to convey to the ignorant people of the country that there is a part of India beyond Kolkata, known as the Northeast.8217;8217;