Darjeeling, Jan 12 (PTI) The mortal remains of singer-actor Prashant Tamang, whose journey from a Kolkata Police personnel to a national celebrity following his victory in a reality show transformed the political consciousness of Darjeeling hills, were on Monday brought to his home here amid an outpouring of grief and reverence.
Tamang, winner of Indian Idol Season 3, died in Delhi on Sunday following a cardiac arrest. He was 43.
Officials said his last rites would be held in Darjeeling with full honours, as directed by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Calling his death an irreplaceable loss for the hills, B K Ghisingh, Assistant Director of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department of the GTA, said arrangements were being made to receive Tamang’s body “with dignity befitting a legend who carried Darjeeling to the world stage”.
A procession carrying his mortal remains is scheduled in Darjeeling on Monday, where a condolence meeting and a Sarva Dharma Puja will be organised. Artistes, political leaders and members of the public from across the hills are expected to pay their final respects.
“He was not just a singer. He became the voice and identity of Darjeeling,” Ghisingh said.
While Tamang’s musical success captured the nation’s imagination, it was his 2007 Indian Idol victory that left an indelible imprint on the socio-political history of the hills.
Securing the title with an unprecedented surge of public support, marked by millions of votes mobilised from across the Darjeeling hills and beyond, Tamang emerged as a powerful symbol of Gorkha pride and aspiration at a time of growing political churn in the region.
What began as a cultural campaign to back a local boy on a national stage soon spilled into the political domain. Mass mobilisation during the contest created a grassroots network that quickly outgrew the television competition and provided a ready template for political organisation.
Political observers note that the groundswell generated during Tamang’s Indian Idol run proved to be a turning point in hill politics. The cultural networks and fan clubs that sprang up around the campaign gradually morphed into organised political units.
Bimal Gurung, who was at the forefront of mobilising public support for Tamang, deftly channelled this surge of popular sentiment into a political force, a momentum that eventually dislodged veteran leader and GNLF supremo Subash Ghisingh from the centre of power and ushered in a new political order in the Darjeeling hills.
The post-victory period also saw emotions in the hills run high, particularly after an allegedly derogatory on-air remark by a Delhi-based radio jockey triggered widespread protests in Darjeeling and Siliguri. The unrest deepened simmering sentiments over identity and recognition, adding fresh momentum to the long-standing demand for a separate Gorkhaland land.
BJP’s Darjeeling MP Raju Bista described Tamang’s death as a shock for the entire country.
“From serving as a police constable and singing in local orchestras to winning Indian Idol, Prashant Tamang showed how grit and self-belief can change destinies. He inspired generations and brought the Gorkha identity into national consciousness,” Bista told reporters.
Darjeeling BJP MLA Neeraj Zimba said Tamang’s journey had united people across political and social divides.
“His rise was a moment when the hills spoke in one voice. That legacy will endure,” he said.
As Darjeeling prepares to bid farewell to its favourite hero, many here say Prashant Tamang will be remembered not merely as an Indian Idol winner or a successful actor, but as a phenomenon, one whose voice helped redefine identity, aspiration and politics in the hills. PTI PNT NN
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