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The politics behind Prashant's Indian Idol win
Sudeshna Sarkar, Indo-Asian News Service
Kathmandu, September 24, 2007
When he decided to try his luck at the Indian Idol reality show, winner
Prashant Tamang probably did not dream that he would make it to the top.
Even if he did imagine that, the 24-year-old from Tungsung village in Darjeeling
district could have never thought, even in his wildest dreams, that for many in
Nepal his win would become a symbol of political victory over their southern
neighbour India, frequently regarded as an arm-twisting bully.
For nearly two months, Nepal agonised over Indian Idol while its own contest
Nepali Tara went ignored. Indeed, the Nepalese contest had to change its timing
since no one watched it while it clashed with Idol.
Why would a nation ignore its own talents and devote its energies to promoting a
singer whose ancestors originated from Nepal?
The answer is because, for many Nepalese, Darjeeling is still part of Nepal.
In the 19th century, Darjeeling and other parts of Sikkim had been annexed by
Nepal. However, as the British East India Company tried to open trade routes to
Tibet via Sikkim, Nepal waged war against the Company and lost.
As a result, it was forced to sign the Sugauli Treaty and withdraw from all the
territory it had occupied in Sikkim, Kumaon, Garhwal and much of the Terai.
Though the British found it difficult to govern the Terai and restored some of
it to Nepal, Darjeeling, Kumaon and Garhwal remained part of British India.
When India obtained independence in 1947, Nepal hoped to get back its wrested
land but did not.
Since then, the dream of achieving a "Greater Nepal" some day in the future with
the lost area still remains in the mind of the Nepalese.
Royalists had been demanding a Greater Nepal and the Maoists, the opponents of
the royalists, want it as well, demanding that the Sugauli Treaty be scrapped.
There has been no formal treaty between Nepal and India after 1947, even after
Sikkim's merger with India in 1975, which Nepal regards as the annexation of
Sikkim.
Nepal still does not formally recognise Sikkim's "annexation", nor has India
sought recognition from Nepal.
Therefore Nepalis still regard Darjeeling as a part of Nepal that should be
restored and Prashant Tamang is considered a Nepalese.
His victory Sunday therefore is the victory of Nepal over India in a way, which
is why, despite his Indian citizenship, the fact that Prashant speaks Nepali at
home, which constitutionally is an Indian language as well, is being regarded as
evidence of his being a Nepalese.
Ironically, actress Manisha Koirala, who carved a niche in Bollywood, was never
an icon in Nepal.
One reason was probably because she came from one of Nepal's most influential
families and the average Nepali did not identify with her.
Her popularity also took a dive after she supported King Gyanendra when the king
tried to seize absolute power through an army-backed coup.
Nepalis feel that Manisha obtained stardom with the help The politics behind
Prashant's Indian Idol winof the Indian film industry, she did not "defeat"
thousands of Indian contenders to attain success.
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