A folk singer based in southern Assam’s Silchar has literally become music to the ears of those who have caught the novel coronavirus.
No one responded initially when Bikramjit Kar, who prefers to be called Bikramjit Baulia because of his obsession with the songs of the Bauls or mystic minstrels of Bengal, took to social media six days ago offering COVID-19 patients uplifting songs on call.
Some friends and acquaintances mocked his “publicity stunt”. But a call on the fourth day for a popular folk number made him feel he was on the right track.
“I have since sung a variety of songs to about 250 people recovering from COVID-19 infection. I have also had to deviate from an array of Bengali folk songs to sing a few Hindi songs for some infected youth in Assam and people from Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Pune and elsewhere in India,” Mr. Baulia told The Hindu on Sunday.
Request from non-Bengali people has made him brush up on his Hindi with most callers opting for Hindi film songs of Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi.
Mr. Baulia, 33, believes mental health is as important as medicines in the fight against COVID-19.
“I have come across people who lost the battle in the mind. So, I decided to offer musical therapy to keep the infected people, symptomatic or asymptomatic, in high spirits,” he said.
The songs-on-call service is a musical spin to his 2020 initiative to encourage people to call each other up in order to maintain psychological intimacy while practising physical distancing.
“I have been performing on the stage since 2004, have participated in music reality shows, received awards and even performed in Bangladesh. But I have never felt as happy as I am now by trying to dispel the gloom around people with music,” Mr. Baulia said.
Virtually out of work due to the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, he opened a small pharmacy six months ago. Unlike most others, he has been delivering medicines home to people infected with the virus. Last year, his NGO Aabeg (Emotion) had provided free food for 3,000 people.
“Let’s not talk about that. Publicity defeats the very cause of social service or donation,” the folk singer said.
He has earned praise from Assam Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, who tweeted: “Such healing touch through melody is an amazing experience and support towards the mental strength of COVID-19 positive patients.”
Published - May 23, 2021 11:52 am IST
