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"Indian Idol" finalist Prashant Tamang, who has transformed
overnight from a constable of Kolkata Police to a singing
sensation, has his uniformed colleagues and people of his hometown
going all out to make him win the reality show - forming fans clubs
and setting up special phone booths to send votes.
Kolkata Police and residents of Darjeeling are waiting with
bated breath for the grand finale of Sony TV's show Sunday - when
either Prashant or his rival Amit Paul from Shillong will get the
coveted title of "Indian Idol" based on the number of votes
received on SMS or phones.
"It's really a matter of pride for all men in uniform that
Prashant is in the top two of 'Indian Idol'. This is the first
time in the history of Kolkata Police that a cop has proven his
talent in such a big contest. He is an inspiration for all of us,"
Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police (Armed Force) Zulfikar
Hassain, who encouraged Prashant to take part in the event, told
IANS.
Tamang had displayed his singing talented soon after he joined the
police force - he was part of the orchestra band Kolkata Police
Live as a lead vocalist. But little did his colleagues know his
talent would one day catapult him to fame.
Prashant is a sepoy of Kolkata Armed Police's special force (SF)
wing of which Hassain is the joint commissioner. Overwhelmed by the
achievement of his junior, Hassain said there were lots of hidden
talents in the police force but very few people get a chance to
shine.
"Most of us in the police force usually remain absorbed in our
rigorous day-to-day work. Since Prashant has set the trend, I
believe it will be easy for others to pursue their talents in
future," he said.
Asked about the voting frenzy amongst policemen, Hassain said:
"It's a question of uniform loyalty. I hope all men in uniform -
be it army, Kolkata Police, West Bengal police or police of any
other state, are enthusiastically voting for Prashant," he said.
"We have our batch mates and colleagues across India and they all
are voting for Prashant," he added.
In Prashant's hometown Darjeeling, people are doing all they can
to give their hero the winning push. A fan club has been formed in
the hill town just to consolidate support for Prashant.
Many Prashant fans have opened special phone booths at several
places. Several clubs and individuals have also sponsored coin
booths at Jorebunglow, Pokhriabong, Sukhiapokhri, Mirik, Kurseong
and Kalimgpong areas so that people can easily cast their vote for
Prashant before the final showdown.
And many have even contributed money to buy hundreds of mobile
phone cash cards at booths for people to drop in and send an SMS
for the local hero for free.
"Not everyone has a handset in Darjeeling. So people of all
communities have contributed money to set up phone booths to ensure
Prashant wins. All communities - Biharis, Muslims, Bengalis and
Marwaris - have come forward to help," said Tenzing Khambachey, a
die-hard fan of Prashant.
"We have requested all people in north Bengal and Sikkim to vote
for Prashant and also requested service providers to ensure that
votes sent from across the hills reach the right destination," said
Khambachay, who has been enthusiastically campaigning for the
constable.
"After the competition, we have also decided to felicitate Prashant
along with Emon Chatterjee, another contestant of 'Indian Idol'
from Bengal, at a function in Darjeeling, Tenzing said.
Indo-Asian News Service
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