Darjeeling, June 3: Bimal Gurung
has decided to start a campaign in the hills once again but this time it
will be for eight-year-old Anushka Chettri and not for any political
purpose.
Anoushka, a Class III student of Loreto Convent, is among the top five contestants in a TV reality show, +Dance India Dance -Little Master Season 3,
which is for children aged between four and 12. The programme is aired
on Zee TV from 9pm to 10.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president today directed the party leaders to start a
campaign across the hills for the girl and urge people to vote for her
by registering a missed call on 1800-833-600-3. The last number, three,
is for Anoushka and other contestants are also assigned a single-digit
number for the audience to vote for them.
One can also log
in to the website of the TV channel and vote for their favourite
contestant. However, Gurung didn’t give any direction with regard to the
voting on the website. The voting will be held from 8pm every Saturday
till 8am every Monday till the end of the show.
The campaign by Gurung is not the first of its kind.
The Morcha’s rise
to fame is largely attributed to a similar campaign started by Gurung in
2007. Then, a hill singer, Prashant Tamang, had been taking part in
another reality show, Indian Idol, telecast by Sony TV. Gurung
formed the Prashant Tamang Fan Club and mobilised support for the singer
who went on to win the show.
Within days of Prashant’s win, Gurung formed the Morcha and used the fan club to oust GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh from the DGHC.
This time around, Gurung has no such challenges.
Binay Tamang,
assistant secretary of the Morcha, said: “Members of the Anoushka Fan
Club met our party president Bimal Gurung. Our leader has directed us to
start a campaign to garner support for the dancer. We have already
passed the instruction to our cadres.”
Anoushka, a
resident of MP Road in Darjeeling, is in Mumbai at present to take part
in the show. She will be in her hometown on June 5 and 6.
“The information
and cultural affairs department of the GTA has also decided to support
the events that will be organised by the Anoushka Fan Club in Darjeeling
for four days from June 5,” said Binay, who is also the executive Sabha
member of the GTA in charge the department.
Sheetal Subba,
member of the Anoushka Fan Club, said: “On June 5 and 6, a special
programme (dance) will be held at Chowrasta by the Kanchenjungha Nritya
Academy and Anoushka will be present. On June 7 and 8, other artistes
from Darjeeling will perform at Chowrasta.”
Kanchenjungha Nritya Academy is patronised by Gurung.
On June 6, the
Anoushka Fan Club and the GTA’s information and cultural affairs
department will bring out a rally from the Darjeeling Railway Station to
Chowrasta.
“We have requested
different communities in the hills to participate in the rally wearing
their traditional attire to drum up support for Anoushka,” said Binay.(TT)
Fan club to welcome Darjeeling girl of DID reality show fame
The Anushka Fan Club has decided to give
a grand welcome to the little girl from the hills who has entered the
fifth round of a TV reality dance show. Anushka will be in Darjeeling
shortly for a television shoot ahead of the final round.
A student of Loreto Convent, Anushka
Chhetri (8), along with another contestant from the hills, is among the
favourites to lift the title in the Dance India Dance Little Master
show, a TRP gorging reality dance show.
Members of the Anushka Fan Club, which
was formed here this April, today said they will organise a number of
programmes to encourage Anushka further as well as to garner more votes
for her. Anushka resides in the MP Road of town and will be dropping
home on June 5, Thursday for a shoot accompanied by the organisers of
the reality show.
Speaking to the media, fan club member
Sheetal Subba said, “Anushka will be Darjeeling for two days, on June 5
and 6. She will be accompanied by crew members of the reality show for a
profile shoot of hers. It will take place in Anushka’s residence, her
school, her dance academy and with her friends. We want to welcome
Anushka home in a grand way as she has made us all proud by reaching the
fifth round of the dance show.”
Triveni Sangitalaya Nritya Academy,
Anushka’s dance academy, will be helping her fan club, while the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration will provide logistics support.
“We met GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung
and he has assured to extend all support, while the GTA information and
cultural affairs department will provide us with logistics support. We
are thankful for the support and appeal to the residents of the hills to
help Anushka emerge triumphant,” said Subba.
The Darjeeling hills witnessed a massive
change in its political structure in 2007 after the people rallied for
local boy Prashant Tamang, who ultimately went on to become the first
person from the Nepali/Gorkha community to win the Indian Idol, a
national-level reality singing competition. The wave that had been
created by a reality show eventually went on to displace the political
dispensation then to usher in a new entity.
The fan club will hold a variety
programme on June 5 at Chowrastha and organise a cultural rally from the
railway station premises the following day. Preparations have already
been finalised for a grand reception to Anushka when she lands at
Bagdogra airport. When she makes her way up the hills, the dancing
sensation will be followed by a huge procession of vehicles filled with
her admirers, while ‘Welcome Gates’ are also expected to be erected at
vantage points up to Darjeeling town.
GTA executive member and GJM assistant
secretary Binay Tamang confirmed all logistics support would be extended
to the fan club during the two days it will fete Anushka.
“She is the pride of the hills. Our
chief executive has promised personal support to the fan club. It must
be remembered that the hill people have always united whenever required
to send out a clear message and we hope everyone will come forward to
help the club this time too,” said Tamang.(EOIC)
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