Shillong is in a frenzy. Mind you it is not just the young and impressionable who wax eloquent over Amit Paul. He is the topic of conversation in every home, except among a few nit-pickers who have a problem about every issue under the sun. Fact is we will always have to live with such somber, morose elements who see evil lurk in corner. The best way to move forward in life is, to borrow, the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum's (MTDF) catch-phrase, through positive vibrations.

There is something about Amit Paul which is so heartwarming. Every song of his has a magical ring that touches the core of your heart. Indeed, Amit exudes such passion when he sings that you immediately vibe with him. This is something which few singers achieve. Many of us cannot understand Pavarotti the Italian classical singer but we know there is tremendous power in his voice. The resounding applause after every Pavarotti rendition is a cry of joy from the heart. It's that sort of moment when words fail you and articulation is no longer necessary because of the overwhelming power of the song and singer.

Many of us are not trained to appreciate classical music but we know a good voice when we hear one. Amit Paul may not be a classical singer in the genre of many of our Indian maestros but he has a soft, passionate tenor of his own. No less a personality than Javed Akhtar has paid tribute to Amit when he called him a gift to the music industry of this country. We in Meghalaya are proud that we are able to contribute to the coveted pool of talented singers. Thanks to Amit Paul much of the world now know that the North East has natural singing talent. Look at the flawless voices of the crowd at Mawlai and JN Stadium when they accompanied Amit in his 'Pehla Nasha'. No one went off-key. I am sure this did not escape the attention of Indian Idol watchers worldwide.

But one thing that truly matters to us is this. Shillong has registered in the computer of this country's denizens. People will no longer need a magnifying glass to find Shillong in the map. Amit Paul has broken this psychological and mental block. No doubt Shillong has been a rock music destination but thus far only western music enthusiasts knew or cared to know about this beautiful hill station. Now Shillong is in the consciousness of the the 'aam janata' from Punjab, and Haryana to Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Amit's absolutely soulful rendition of 'Bulla ke jana mai kaun' was a super hit. Interestingly whenever this lad sings he outdoes the original singers. This says a lot about his originality.

Having said so much about Amit's talent let me now come to the point. How much are we doing to ensure his win? How many of us are going the extra mile to vote and motivate others to do the same? If Amit is to win we need to all imbibe his humble demeanor, his charming smile and his self confidence. It is an absolute waste of time and energy to talk Prashant Tamang and how many votes he has got. For one, voting is confidential and no one really knows the voting tally. But of one thing we are sure - that we all need to vote and sms like we have never done in our mobile-centric lives. Until we suffer from smsitis we have not voted enough.

I also believe it is very wrong and disrespectful of us to presume that the Gorkhali residents of Meghalaya will vote Prashant. As human emotions go all of us do feel a certain loyalty towards our own ethnic community. It would take a lot to transcend such loyalties. But Gorkhali friends I know are voting Amit because they believe he scores over Prashant insofar as singing talent is concerned. Besides, this contest is not about Gorkhali pride versus the rest. It is a talent hunt so talent must win. We need to vote with our heads not with our hearts. I believe our Gorkhali friends recognize talent as much as anyone else and therefore we need to respect their sentiments.

So let us put the Prashant episode behind. After all we are here to talk about Amit Paul. This young man has already won our hearts. He has taken all of us on a different plane and compelled us to abandon our narrow ethnic enclaves. We all want Amit to win and hopefully this new found solidarity will see him through. If this is important for Amit it is equally important for us because we need to carry forward this spontaneous fraternal spirit to every corner of this State.

In this context, the State Government deserves commendation for anointing Amit Paul as the brand ambassador for peace, communal harmony and excellence. This reflects the cerebral agility to appreciate the signs of the times and the magnanimity to root for a youth who has brought Meghalaya and Shillong into the national and international limelight. This also fits in well with the Government's policy of selling the State as a tourist and investment destination. Amit has done the leg work for us.

Of all the localities, Mawlai has shown exceptional maturity in welcoming Amit in the traditional Khasi spirit of generosity. This graciousness is worth emulating. In a way it symbolizes our collective acceptance of Amit as a son and brother. If we can do it with Amit it is only a matter of time before we can find ways to become an inclusive society. Amit Paul cuts across barriers of age, language, ethnicity, religion and other humanly constructed divisions. We are enjoying this new-found space of inter-cultural accord.

However, we also need the maturity to admit that not all share the same sentiments. Those who do not agree with us must be won over by love and understanding. People have a right o their own opinions. We need to respect that too. As we come closer to the grand finale there is need for more patience and maturity to deal with final outcome. To echo Anu Malik, 'Win or lose, Amit Paul is for us the Indian Idol' We would need to come to grips with this reality. Some people apprehend a law and order fall-out should Amit lose out. Let us prove the prophets of doom otherwise. Shillong has come of age. It's people are capable of rising to the occasion.

However, what is a difficult proposition is that Amit carries with him the hopes and aspirations of every Meghalayan because he is our brand ambassador. He has been officially endorsed as one. May we ask the State Government how much it has invested in its brand ambassador? Or is this anointment mere rhetoric and a gimmick? The State Government needs to prove its mettle now or never. Let it not be said of us that for want of money the battle was lost. If small town Darjeeling create such a stir and make news on NDTV why should Meghalaya lag behind? What does this State lack by way of resources? The fact of the matter is that the common people who have little have given their all. If the affluent put their best foot forward, Amit Paul and Meghalaya will surely make it to the Indian Idol crown.