Prashant Tamang | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 4 January 1983 Darjeeling, West Bengal, India |
| Origin | India |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, drums |
| Years active | 2007—present |
Prashant Tamang (born 4 January 1983) is an Indian singer and film actor based in Kathmandu. [1] He was the winner of Indian Idol Season 3 in 2007. [2]
Prashant Tamang was born in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India to Rupa Tamang and Madan Tamang and studied at St Robert School. After the demise of his father in an accident, Tamang left school and joined Kolkata Police as a constable in his father's place. [3] [4] [5] In Kolkata Police, he sang for the police orchestra. His family includes his grandmother, mother and his sister, Archana. He married Geeta Thapa (Martha Alley), who is a flight attendant, on 16 February 2011 in Nagaland, India. [6]
According to the Indian Idol programme commentary, Tamang auditioned for Indian Idol 3 (2007) because his friends and his seniors, especially Mr. Zulfiqar Hasan, Special Additional Commissioner of Police [7] (who incidentally also got Tamang's leave sanctioned for the competition) told him that his voice was very good. He auditioned for Indian Idol in Kolkata and was subsequently chosen for the next rounds. [8] He received mixed comments from judges for his performances. He is the only contestant to have never been in the bottom three or four of the gala round. Tamang made it to the top two of Indian Idol 3 along with Amit Paul. Tamang got about 10 times more votes (70 million votes) [9] than Amit in the final and went on to win the Indian Idol contest. He won 10 million Indian rupees cash prize & a Maruti Suzuki SX4 as the winner of Indian Idol.
After entering the Indian Idol contest, Tamang became a celebrity in West Bengal, Sikkim and particularly in the Darjeeling hills. People from Kolkata, Sikkim and Nepalese population living all around the world voted overwhelmingly for Tamang in the contest. [10] The mayor of Mirik vowed to spend Rs. 10,000 and his staff vowed to spend a month's salary in SMS voting for Prashant Tamang. [11] People of Nepalese origin working in Brunei, UK, Hong Kong, UAE and other countries sent money to vote for him in India. [12]
Travel was organised in Howrah, Kolkata in his support, some of which were attended by his sister, mother, and grandmother. In Pokhara, Nepal, Radio Annapurna (93.4 MHz) campaigned for collecting donation and the collected sum of NRs. Seventy-thousand donations were sent to Darjeeling through its representative to vote for Tamang. A signature campaign for his support was organised by Himalaya Darpan (a Nepali newspaper) in Kolkata. Schools, clubs and other organisations asked people to support and vote for Tamang, who was named "पहाडको गौरव" (Pahad Ko Gaurav) meaning "Pride of the Hills".[ citation needed ] Two cabinet ministers from Sikkim, G.M. Gurung and S.B. Subedi, planted tree saplings at Singtam to pledge the Sikkimese support for Tamang and to show the unity of the Nepalese community in Sikkim and Kolkata. [10] The Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs of Sikkim, P.S. Golay, also supported the statewide voting for Tamang.
Tamang, a constable in Kolkata Police, was supported by the officials of his department. Zulfiqar Hasan (Special ACP), visibly ecstatic with Tamang's triumph, in his interview after the announcement of the result, told that he was confident that Tamang would win and he and his team supported Tamang at every stage of the competition. According to reports, a couple of policemen even stayed awake through the nights to vote for Tamang. [13] Hasan said, "Given the hard worker he is, Tamang deserved this title. He has no formal training in music, but he has been chosen the new Indian Idol. This proves how dedicated he is towards whatever he does."
Bimal Gurung, a former councillor of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, led a successful campaign for voting for Tamang in Indian Idol 3. His campaign gained huge support and popularity from the people of Darjeeling. Riding on the wave of this mass support, Bimal was able to move the campaign to a political angle and overthrow Subhash Ghisingh, the GNLF leader and caretaker of DGHC, from power. Bimal Gurung went on to found a new party called Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that renewed the demand for a state of Gorkhaland in India. [14]
A radio jockey Jonathan Brady (also known as Nitin) of Red FM, an FM radio channel in Delhi, commented in a live broadcast in his show that "shopkeepers will now have to make their own security arrangements as Gorkhas have taken to singing" when referring to Tamang, who is a Gorkhali, singing in the Indian Idol 3 contest. [15] This led to massive protests from Gorkhas all over and especially in Darjeeling district, where violent clashes erupted between supporters of Tamang and local residents of Siliguri. [16] The Gorkhas demanded that the RJ be taken off the FM channel. The Government of India issued a show-cause notice to Red FM for the racial slur. [17] Red FM issued a clarification stating that "We have not intentionally caused hurt to the sentiments of any person or any particular community, caste or creed. However in the event an inadvertent slight or offence has been caused to the sentiments of any person or community we tender our apology for the same". [18]
After winning Indian Idol 3, Tamang launched his maiden album Dhanyavad (meaning "Thank You"), consisting of Nepali and Hindi songs, with Sony BMG. [19] Prashant toured all over the world, including the USA, [20] performing in concerts. He also sang for a few Nepali films such as Himmat 2 (along with fellow Indian Idol contestant Charu Semwal). [21]
In 2009, Tamang started his acting career in Nepali films. His first film Gorkha Paltan was released in 2010. [22] Gorkha Paltan did very well at the box office. [23] His second film Angalo Yo Maya Ko, produced in Sikkim, was released on 31 March 2011. [24] Kina Maya Ma, Prashant's third film, was released in 2011. [25] His fourth Nepali film Nishani, based on the bravery of the Gorkhas in the Kargil War, was released in 2014.
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Gorkha Paltan | Also did playback singing in the film | |
| 2011 | Angalo Yo Maya Ko | Also did playback singing in the film | |
| 2011 | Kina Maya Ma | ||
| 2014 | Nishani | Hit | |
| 2015 | Pardesi | Blockbuster | |
| 2016 | Ye Maya Hanaima | ||
Darjeeling is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of 2,045 metres (6,709 ft). To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Province of Nepal, to the east the Kingdom of Bhutan, to the north the Indian state of Sikkim, and farther north the Tibet Autonomous Region region of China. Bangladesh lies to the south and southeast, and most of the state of West Bengal lies to the south and southwest, connected to the Darjeeling region by a narrow tract. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, rises to the north and is prominently visible on clear days.
Kalimpong is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of 1,250 metres (4,101 ft). The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The region comes under Gorkhaland Territorial Administration which is an autonomous governing body within the state of West Bengal. The Indian Army's 27 Mountain Division is located on the outskirts of the city.
Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking Gorkha population in Darjeeling District and Kalimpong District of West Bengal, India. The party was founded in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung.
Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) is a political party in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. It was formed in 1980 by Subhash Ghisingh with the objective of demanding a Gorkhaland state within India.
The Tamang, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group of Nepal, Southern Bhutan and North India. In Nepal Tamang/Moormi people constitute 5.6% of the Nepalese population at over 1.3 million in 2001, increasing to 1,539,830 as of the 2011 census. Tamang people are concentrated in the central hilly region of Nepal. Indian Tamangs are found in significant numbers in the state of Sikkim and districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal state. Bhutanese Tamangs are native to various districts in the southern foothills of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Such districts include the Tsirang District, the Dagana District, the Samtse District, the Chukha District, the Sarpang District and the Samdrup Jongkhar District. Tamang language is the fifth most-spoken language in Nepal. Finally Tamang and Murmi Bhate are different.
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its hill station and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters.
Kurseong is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision.
The Gorkhaland movement is a campaign to create a separate state of India in the Gorkhaland region of West Bengal for the Nepali speaking Indians. The proposed state includes the hill regions of the Darjeeling district, Kalimpong district and Dooars regions that include Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and parts of Cooch behar districts. A demand for a separate administrative unit in Darjeeling has existed since 1909, when the Hillmen's Association of Darjeeling submitted a memorandum to Minto-Morley Reforms demanding a separate administrative setup.
Kami is an Indo-Aryan Nepali speaking group that primarily worked as metalsmiths. Later Nepal abolished its grading system. The tribal designation of Khas is given in only a few contexts. the Government of Nepal legally abolished the caste-system and criminalized any caste-based discrimination, including "untouchability" - in the year 1963 A.D. With Nepal's step towards freedom and equality, Nepal, previously ruled by a Hindu monarchy was a Hindu nation which has now become a secular state, and on 28 May 2008, it was declared a republic, ending it as the Hindu Kingdom. Even though it is illegal to discriminate people based on their caste, these people are widely discriminated in Nepal. A large portion of people who follow Hinduism still discriminate Kami and other so-called lower castes. While a small minority of the population claims that the problems related to caste based discrimination are no longer present in Nepal, many are fully aware that these problems are rooted not only in tradition and culture, but also religion. Caste based discrimination and violence are a grim reality of Nepali society with numerous people losing their lives due to racially motivated mobs. Both the Government and many other INGO are working hand-in-hand in order to uproot the problem by targeting grassroot issues such as education, awareness and employment.
Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, was a political party in the Indian state of Sikkim. The party president was Dr. A.D. Subba. Tara Shrestha was the general secretary of the party.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is a registered unrecognized political party, that campaigns for the creation of a separate state Gorkhaland within India, out of districts in the north of West Bengal. The party was launched on 7 October 2007. The faction led by Binay Tamang, which was created out of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in 2017, merged into Gurung's GJM in 2021 after Tamang's resignation, following which he joined Trinamool Congress.
Madan Tamang was an Indian politician and the president of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), a moderate faction of the Gorkhaland movement. Opposed to violent methods for the process, he stood for a negotiated settlement to the Gorkhaland dispute. He was hacked to death allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters on 21 May 2010 which led to spontaneous shutdown in the three divisions of the hills Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.
Hira Devi Waiba was an Indian folk singer in the Nepali-language and is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs.
Bimal Gurung is an Indian Gorkha Politician and one of the founders and the president of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), a political party demanding the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland within India. He is the 1st chief executive member of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, which is a semi-autonomous body that governs the hilly areas or Darjeeling District Kalimpong District and the partial terai region in the state of West Bengal.
Indian Gorkhas also known as Nepali Indians, are Nepali language-speaking Indians. The modern term "Indian Gorkha" is used to differentiate the ethnic Gorkhas from Nepalis.
Shiva Kumar Rai (1919-1995) was a Nepali language writer and politician from Darjeeling, India. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1978 for his collection of short stories Khaharey. He was the first Gorkha minister in the state of West Bengal after becoming a deputy minister in 1952.
Kumar Pradhan was an Indian historian and writer whose research interests include the History of the Eastern Himalayas, Genealogical studies and the Nepali literature. Pradhan has also edited and written a number of literary journals and anthologies and published learned articles in Nepali. He was the chief editor of Sunchari Samachar and other prominent Nepali newspapers.
Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Himalayas region of South Asia. It is the official, and most widely spoken, language of Nepal, where it also serves as a lingua franca. Nepali has official status in the Indian state of Sikkim and in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration of West Bengal. It is spoken by about a quarter of Bhutan's population. Nepali also has a significant number of speakers in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Uttarakhand. In Myanmar it is spoken by the Burmese Gurkhas. The Nepali diaspora in the Middle East, Brunei, Australia and worldwide also use the language. Nepali is spoken by approximately 16 million native speakers and another 9 million as a second language.
Kalimpong district is a district in the state of West Bengal, India. Originally known as Dalingkot tehsil, the region was alternatively under the control of Sikkim and Bhutan. In 1865, it was annexed from Bhutan by British India under the Treaty of Sinchula, and administered as a subdivision of the Darjeeling district from 1916 to 2017. In 2017, it was carved out as a separate district to become the 21st district of West Bengal.
Binay Tamang is an Indian Politician and a former leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha political party. He joined All India Trinamool Congress in 2021 and Left party in 2022.
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