For others, it might seem just like the emergence of yet another Indian idol, the winner of the third annual India-wide singing competition. But for Nepalis all over the world, the victory of the Darjeeling lad Prashant Tamang, a West Bengal policeman, on the popular Indian reality show “Indian Idol”, it was much more. Public celebrations in the hometown of any winner are expected and natural. But, what was out of the ordinary was that the midnight news of Prashant’s becoming Indian Idol sent the people of all ages gaga not only in Darjeeling but in other Nepali-speaking areas. The moment the winner was announced, Kathmandu and other towns in Nepal erupted into wildly joyous chants of ‘Prashant, Prashant’ and crowds of people came out in the streets in virtually every locality, singing and dancing, as the boom of fireworks rent the air and lighted up the dark, still sky, rousing people from their deep sleep. The revelry continued into the wee hours of the morning. Indeed, for Nepalis, whatever their nationality and wherever they lived, there was sufficient reason to celebrate, as this was for the first time that a Nepali lad but an Indian citizen had made it big on any Indian reality show. A bonding factor had been at work already, as Nepalis in Nepal and abroad collected money to root for Prashant. Thousands of people from Nepal went into the other side of the border to send SMS messages for him. All this was spontaneous — there was no involvement of religion, of nationality, of caste, or of any other thing. Only the fact of his being of Nepali roots explained everything.

But all this was of symbolic importance. It brought out powerfully the emotional unity Nepalis felt almost everywhere. The effect of this spontaneous show of oneness stressed the fact that Nepalis feel for one another and care for one another, sharing in their joys and sorrows. At the same time, it accentuated the wide and deep people-to-people relations Nepal and India have, beyond formal arenas of diplomacy and government-to-government contacts. Shared cultural and religious heritage reflected in so many aspects of daily living has informed interactions and nurtured relationship at people’s level. While Nepalis across regions and countries can treat the success of a person of Nepali origin as their own and do everything in their power to help him along, the question that comes across is what Nepalis can achieve if they demonstrate a similar resolve when confronted with issues vital to their common interests, all the more so in the present volatile situation. In unity there is strength. This is the most important message Prashant’s success holds for us in Nepal.