Barracks abuzz for chosen Idol - Text messages being fired day and night to ensure colleague’s victory A STAFF REPORTER The Calcutta police orchestra is drumming up support for star singer Prashant Tamang. Picture by Amit Datta The cellphone is now the most vital weapon at Alipore Bodyguard Lines. With 72 hours to go for D-Day, the cops are firing text messages day and night to crown colleague Prashant Tamang the next Indian Idol. “Voting stops at 6pm on Sunday and so, we have been sending SMSs constantly to the designated number to ensure that he wins Indian Idol 3. It is a do-or-die situation for us,” said Sudipto Das, a guitarist with the Calcutta police orchestra, of which Prashant was the star singer till the Sony musical reality show came calling five months ago. With Prashant, the boy from Darjeeling, locked in a fight to the finish with Amit Paul from Shillong, his mates back at the Alipore barracks are literally burning the midnight oil. “One of us stays up to send SMSs through the night. Prashant has made Calcutta police proud and we must ensure that he wins,” said Amit Das, a constable at Alipore Bodyguard Lines. Prashant had spent four years as a Calcutta police constable and vocalist with the Calcutta police orchestra. “We created a fund and have been contributing Rs 10 every day so that we can send text messages supporting him. Even our family members and friends are helping us. Prashant winning Indian Idol 3 would be the perfect Puja gift for all of us,” said Nabo Adhikary, the drummer with the orchestra at Barrack No. 3. The SMS craze has smitten cops at all 48 police stations in the city and even the Lalbazar top brass. Zulfiquar Hasan, the special additional special commissioner (armed police), whom Prashant considers his mentor, was gung-ho: “We are so proud of him. His colleagues as well as policemen from across the state have been extending support to him. He is a fighter and has come a long way.” Police chief Prasun Mukherjee praised Prashant for “doing so well” and stressed that “all colleagues and everybody in the police department are praying for him”.