Alms and the man
Walking along the turbulent crowd of 'Police Bazaar' in Shillong one may easily miss him but not his music. Somkanta Roy is a blind who literally thrives on mere begging after his superannuation from 'Assam Rifles', a paramilitary organisation serving north-east India. It was a fiercely emotional experience to find the blind man singing Rabindrasangeet (Songs of Tagore), one after the other. Even at seventy-five he easily recalls the pages of Swarabitan (A series of volumes on musical notes pertaining to Tagore's songs), which he rigidly follows. There was a sense of relief to know that a hotel owner provides him and his physically challenged wife a free space to sleep. Joy does reside along with sadness. Otherwise good Samaritans from the State Bank of India wouldn't have bothered to raise funds to buy Roy a harmonium he had lost. You can never make him sing a Hindi film song, he utters with a sigh of satisfaction. His one time acquaintance with 'Calcutta Blind School' wayback in 1947 brings him to tears. How many such individuals do you find on the streets of Calcutta? Is it not enough to put to shame those who think are the only ones who uphold the rapidly declining culture of Bengal.
1 comment:
I grew up in Shillong and have also heard Shyama Sangeet from him. I remember my uncle ( who was a music teacher) once invited him home and he sang beautifully one after another. This is really nostalgic. Thanks for sharing.
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