Rabindra Sangeet emerges as a unifying tool in remote Alipurduar

Alipurduar: World poet Rabindranath Tagore would definitely be elated to see youths of different tribal communities coming together to learn songs penned by him. At Rajabhatkhawa Gosala in the Alipurduar district, a Rabindra Sangeet workshop was organized for youths from different ethnic groups of Dooars.

The three-day workshop, which commenced on Friday, saw the participation of artists from a total of 13 tribal groups of the district, including the Rava, Garo, Dukpa, Toto, Tamang, Limbu, Santal, Onraon, Vujel, Mech, Lepcha, Lopchan, and Rai communities taking part.

Alipurduar district, surrounded by tea plantations, hills, and forests, boasts of a 65 per cent tribal population. The district accommodates a total of 26 ethnic tribal groups. The organisers of this workshop aim to introduce Rabindra Sangeet to these communities.

Ashish Kumar Das, a prominent social worker and anthropologist from Howrah, conducted the Rabindra Sangeet workshop in the remote area of Buxa Tiger Reserve in the Kalchini block of Alipurduar.

Under his guidance, 39 new singers are being trained for 5 hours each day. They learn to match the rhythm, notations, and beats of three popular songs — “Jodi Tor Daak Shune Keu Na Ase,” “Ore Grihabasi Khol Dwar Khol” and “Aguner Poroshmoni.”

The workshop’s purpose extends beyond Rabindra Sangeet. Every Saturday at Gosala, artists from various tribes of Dooars come together to share their music, dance and language.

Ram Kumar Lama, a member of the organising committee, stated: “Rabindranath is incomparable. His universality is unparalleled. We are striving to connect with that universality. Our goal is to preserve folk songs by sharing the cultural heritage of the people of this region.”

Ashish Kumar Das remarked: “In the wilderness of North Bengal’s Dooars, we can sense unity through Rabindranath’s songs, sung by the emerging artists of the area.”

Roshni Lama, a folk singer from Raimatang tea garden, said: “Here, we received training in Rabindra Sangeet and also learnt the meaning of these three songs. The song ‘Jodi Tor Daak Shune Keu Na Ase’ has been a great source of inspiration for me. Undoubtedly, my interest in Rabindra Sangeet has significantly increased after I joined this workshop.”