An Article about Prashant and the Indian Nepalese published in the Indian National Daily 'The Stateman" Prasant Tamang has hogged the limelight after becoming one of the top three contenders in Indian Idol ~ a musical show currently on air. So much so that the entire Nepali/Gorkhali community of India eagerly await his performance and wish him success, writes Angsumala Tamang For India, a country with immense diversity, questions about regional bias and cultural identity have always been a pressing issue. The cultural and regional hegemony coupled with poor infrastructure, poverty, education, and lack of communication in the past have always hindered progress, especially for minority groups, indigenous tribes, and the poorer sections of the society. The story is no different for Darjeeling and its neighbouring towns. The hills of sub-Himalayan West Bengal, which has undeniably made a mark for itself with its flavourful tea and as a major tourist destination, remain a stoic spectator bearing witness to socio-cultural conflicts and regional discriminations plaguing the residents of these hill towns. The Gorkhaland Movement (1986-88), which was initiated to improve the socio-economic conditions of Nepalis/Gorkhas residing within these mountain regions of sub-Himalayan West Bengal, was the ‘first-of-its-kind’ socio-political crusade to have reverberated among the otherwise benign and laid back ambience of these ‘cozy’ hill region. It brought to the fore-front, among other concerns, serious issues regarding national identity, cultural difference, political allegiance, and the renaming of Nepali language to ‘Gorkhali’ – a terminology literally incorrect but perhaps politically reassuring and socially legitimate for precise identity issues ‘on paper.’ Identity, a hot topic of the post-modern era, is both complex and complicated. It carries with it different connotations – language, skin colour, looks, gender, religion and dichotomies such as – subjective/objective, assumed/given, deferred/repudiated, political/social, rhetorical/philosophical, male/female, to name a few. Questions concerning one’s identity demands contemplating seriously upon the ‘self’ – its life experiences, identity related behaviour, reaction towards gender constructs, and individualistic variation(s) that emerge from different socio-cultural and socio-economic roles performed within a society. Since people tend to interact in groups, it is therefore not surprising to understand that they unconsciously develop ‘distinct selves’ as per ‘distinct groups’ to make their opinions count in validating the ‘self’ as an enhancing member(s) of a dynamic society. These multifaceted ‘distinct selves’ like concentric circles layer our personalities into such a dense and nebulous matter of social behaviour that it becomes nearly impossible to extricate oneself from this collated mass in order to assert ‘identity’ on monolithic terms; let alone trying to categorise them into a structured pantheon of manicured rows and columns. With rapid globalisation, unavoidable electronic mass media intervention, and a steady process of homogenisation affecting every part of the world, discourses surrounding identity seem to have gained centre-fold among other pertaining social issues. For many in Darjeeling and its neighbouring hill towns of Kuersong, Kalimpong, Mirik, and Sikkim, Saturday and Sunday evenings are much different than it used to be. As the entire Nepali/Gorkhali speaking community of India eagerly await for ‘Indian Idol’ to begin with abated breath, the programme has come to epitomise the fulfillment of this community’s desire to be seen, understood, and be accepted by other Indians as their fellow brethren. Hence they turn on their TV sets, not only to hear and support Prasant Tamang, a native of Darjeeling working for Calcutta Police and one of the top contenders for Indian Idol in his musical endeavor, but to experience the realisation of their struggle for an Indian identity through an Indian media in a programme ironically called the ‘Indian Idol.’ Prasant Tamang, perhaps currently ‘the’ most well-known TV personality from this region and India, for that matter, seems to have given Nepalese Indians/Gorkhas a much awaited national/international podium for voicing issues concerning their ‘Indianess’ and national allegiance that seems to have eluded them for much of the past 60 years. Dubbed as the ‘Dark Horse’ of Indian Idol by the judges of the competition, he unknowingly seems to have paved a way for a socio-political discourse that transcends beyond his musical skill, singing capacity, and issues pertaining to vocal technicalities and music training. When Prasant Tamang sings, he not only sings to impress the judges and the Indian “janta” for support but dons the garb of Nepalese Indian/Gorkha iconicity which, he carries to the centre-stage as a ‘Darjeelinge’ to represent social prejudices, identity contentions, cultural hegemony, and political strife endured or encountered by every Nepalese Indian/Gorkha in India sometime during their life. Television, which has become the single most effective and the most widely watched media in India, has definitely helped to bring forth social issues of identity and citizenship in a big way for Nepalese Indians/Gorkhas. Although India with its open border policy has always maintained a benevolent attitude towards its diaspora communities hailing from disparate heterogeneous backgrounds, much is to be desired in spreading the true meaning of diversity. However, with television and cable network taking over the reins of every Indian household, mass media, as a blessing in disguise, has manifested itself as a primary medium for spreading India’s motto “Unity in Diversity” in a spirit of true cultural integration and authentic nationalism. It has helped broaden the horizons of its citizens in a way where one wouldn’t be considered presumptuous to infer that Indians today are more aware of their fellow-citizen’s multifarious heritage, culture, language, and ethnic background(s). As the nation’s temper rise into a fevered pitch with the finals around the corner, Prasant Tamang’s extended presence in Indian Idol, as he successfully overcomes every elimination round, nails in the fact that with each episode India and her citizens become more acquainted with the ‘north-eastern Indianess,’ an ingredient that was otherwise relegated or lesser known within the periphery of India’s vocabulary. No one can precisely predict who will win but objectively speaking, under ideal conditions, one can only hope for the best singer/talent to win. Time alone can tell whether Prasant Tamang will win but either way one cannot deny the immense contribution of Prasant Tamang and the mass-media in spreading the message of ‘Indianess’ to India and the world in its entirety. The momentum of this now remains to be fulfilled by us as “we” the enlightened and dynamic role-playing members of society, after having become more attuned to India’s diversity both literally and practically, should take it upon ourselves to nurture and spread this new found spirit of national integration through music and media. (Angsumala Tamang is pursuing her PhD in Ethnomusicology from University of California, Los Angeles . Her interest lies in discovering the hermeneutical meaning of music ‘as’ culture – a concentration on the music of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim.)