Despite odds Prashant excels in Indian Idol 2007

Darjeeling: The singing hero, Prashant Tamang, from Darjeeling has gone one step forward in Indian Idol, despite a hitch in the mass voting plan from the hills.

Prashant Tamang, a constable with Calcutta Police and a resident of Toongsoong here, got through the voting round of the national talent hunt today though all the residents of the town could not vote for him.

After beating around 25,000 contenders from across the country, Tamang now has to defeat 17 opponents before he can become the next Idol. At this stage, Tamang’s hopes are pinned on his popularity, that is, the number of votes he gets through text messages on cellphones and calls from land phones. The facility for the last round was open from 9 pm on June 1 to 9 am the next day.

“While we could not send text messages through Aircel, Reliance agents here did not have enough refill vouchers in the town. If people turn ‘sentimental’ in the event of Prashant losing at the competition, the operators will themselves have to face the consequences,” Tenzing Khambachay, the Darjeeling municipality ward commissioner, had said before the voting results were announced today. Khambachay is heading an informal committee, formed to urge residents to vote for Tamang.

The residents have even accused Reliance and Aircel of “conspiring” against them and alleged that “their act almost snuffed out the hill’s Indian Idol hope”.

“We hope they will co-operate with us in the next voting rounds,” Khambachay said.

A representative of one of the accused cellphone service providers, however, said the problem was over and the vouchers would now be available. “Our vouchers had run out of stock from a few areas, but we have replenished them. It will not be a problem anymore,” said a Reliance executive from Siliguri.

Despite the hitch in the cellphone services, Tamang sailed through the voting round this time, the result of which was declared tonight. The constable became one of the last 18 contestants at the camp.

For the next rounds of voting, the committee has planned programmes to garner support for Tamang. The members have already sought permission from the Darjeeling municipality to start making announcements over the public address system across the town. “Prashant’s mother will go across Darjeeling in a van, fitted with mikes. The rest of the hills will also do their bits to drum up support for their idol,” said Khambachey. Residents of Toongsoong are already bringing out rallies almost every night.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling to support its Indian Idol Boy

Darjeeling: People in the hill town will be awake throughout the night tomorrow, sending messages and making phone calls to help their neighbourhood boy become the singing hero of the nation.

Committees have been formed and an action plan drawn up to vote for Prashant Tamang — a 24-year-old from Toongsoong here — as he climbs up the ladder at Indian Idol, one of the biggest singing talent-hunt contests in the country. After beating around 25,000 hopefuls from across the country, Tamang, a constable with Calcutta Police, now has only 27 opponents to deal with to become the next Indian Idol.

In this round, Tamang’s fate depends on the number of votes he gets through SMS texts and calls from landlines and the residents here have things planned out to keep the small town dream alive.

“Voting lines for the contest will remain open from 9 pm tomorrow to 9 am the next day (June 1-2) and we will ensure that we are all there to vote for him throughout the night. One person can vote unlimited number of times,” said Tenzing Khambachey, the commissioner of Ward 14, who is heading the informal committee. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our boy and we cannot let him down. We have even sent people to places like Tezpur in Assam to mobilise support for Prashant. Relatives, friends and residents of Darjeeling staying across the country are calling us to express support.”

Back at Tamang’s home in Toongsoong, hundreds of well-wishers are trooping in everyday to wish his family luck. “I thank the police department for making him the lead singer at the Calcutta Police Orchestra, which gave him an opportunity to test his skill along with the best from the country,” said Tamang’s mother Rupa.

His father, Madan Tamang, had died while in service with the Calcutta Police and Tamang, who had then just finished his Class X exams from St Robert’s School, Darjeeling, had to join the force in 2000 for a living. “He never told us that he was trying his luck at the Indian Idol. We learnt about it only after he was selected. I would ask Prashant to take proper training to hone his skills,” said Rupa.

Volunteers have plastered the town with festoons, urging people to vote for their friend. In order to ensure that Tamang does not miss out a single vote from the region, pamphlets have been distributed across the hills, urging residents to send their votes through landline phones if they did not have mobiles. Telephone booth-owners have also been requested to keep their shops open as late as possible tomorrow.

“Many may not know how to vote and some may not be able to send SMS texts. We are asking social organisations to teach everyone how to send their votes correctly, either through landlines or cellphones,” said Khambachey.

Darjeeling municipality commissioners, hotel owners and businessmen are also coming forward to sponsor publicity material for Tamang. “We are also grateful to the Marwari community for their help,” the commissioner said.

Source: The Telegraph