Kathmandu: A 22-year-old policeman from Darjeeling, who is one of the contestants on the popular Indian Idol show has become the new icon for the Nepalese diaspora with Indian viewers of Nepalese origin whipping up a campaign to boost his chances.
Prashant Tamang, who comes from the Tungsung village in Darjeeling, has hit the headlines in neighbouring Nepal where hundreds are rooting for him.
Kantipur, Nepal's largest circulated newspaper, reported how Indians of Nepali origin have found a new object of pride in Tamang, who despite having a difficult childhood and no formal training in music, won praise from the judges of the contest and survived the elimination round.
"I went home to Darjeeling recently. During my stay, I kept on voting for Tamang through SMS. When our brothers win laurels, it is a matter of pride for all of us," Darjeeling girl Neeruta Singh, one of the most sought-after heroines in Nepal, told Kantipur.
The Nepalese daily detailed how Darjeeling's ethnic Nepalese community was charged up to support Tamang. A photograph showed a signature campaign with Tamang's 78-year-old grandmother Sanjeevani Tamang scrawling on the huge banner.
Taxis in Darjeeling are carrying photographs of the smiling Tamang, while schools, clubs and even the local police are asking people to support the Buddhist singer, the report said.
"I voted for Prashant eight times last night," Tara Kumar, a resident of Darjeeling, said on Friday. "I am sure he will make it big."
A banner put up by Darjeeling Police said, "Prashant Tamang, the first ethnic Nepali Indian to have gone past the elimination round is our prestige."
After his father Madan Tamang died in an accident, Tamang, then just a teenager, was offered a job by the police force for which his father worked. He joined the force in 2002 and found an outlet for his singing dreams by joining the police band. Currently, Prashant is stationed in Kolkata.
Ethnic Nepalese are also proud of Udit Narayan Jha, the golden-voiced boy from Nepal's border area, who became a singing sensation in India's multi-billion-rupee Bollywood film industry.
Jha, who is one of the judges of the contest, spoke to Tamang in Nepali when he learnt where the contestant's home was and the fact that he spoke Nepali at home has become another matter of pride for the Nepalis.
Indian Idol is one of the most watched programmes in Nepal and when Abhijit Sawant, the first Idol, came to sing in Nepal, his concerts were packed. This year, the contest for which auditions were also held in London and Dubai saw participants from cities other than the major metros making a mark for first time.
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