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Singing was what Kishore Kumar picked up naturally, listening to the women folk in his village in Mau. It was this talent of his that made BSP founder Kanshi Ram give him the nickname of ‘Pagla’.
Thereafter he came to be known as Kishore Kumar Pagla by party workers and leaders. “Behenji knows me and calls me for party events,” says the 70-year-old who is busy these days with BSP campaigns and public rallies of senior leaders where he sings folk songs.
“Kanshi Ram ji kahte the, arre pagle, tune mujhe apna diwana bana diya. He loved my andaaz (Kanshi Ram Ji used to say that I had impressed him with my songs and style of singing),” the BSP cadre in Ambedkarnagar said.
In one of the election rallies of Akash Anand, held in April in Ambedkarnagar, he was present on the stage, singing. “A few years ago, I met him at a party event in Patna, where I sang in front of him. People wonder how I sing so effortlessly even at this age. But it’s my passion to sing, and sing for my party,” said Pagla, who counts himself among the committed cadre of BSP. He has no training to boast of.
“I picked it up from the womenfolk of my village, who used to sing on every occasion. In the weddings, they sang gaalis (cuss words) and sohar on dholak. I used to sing with them,” says ‘Pagla’ who was born in a Dalit family in a nondescript village in Mau. “We had some land. Before I joined BSP, I did odd jobs to take care of my family,” he says.
In 1984, when a few people from the Bahujan movement reached his village to encourage Dalits to join DS-4 (Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti), he became a part of the social movement that Kanshi Ram had launched. “I had studied a little. The movement told us about great thinkers, from every religion. I got moved by it all and joined the party,” he added.
Other than doing the works he was given at the party, he also took to entertaining people with his songs and that’s how he got noticed by Kanshi Ram.
“On one of the Behenji’s birthdays, Kanshi Ram Ji had called me to Delhi and there he told her, ‘tum isko apne karyakram mein le jaao, istemaal karo, tum bhashan dena, yeh gaana gayega’ (take him to your programmes, he will sing while you address people).”
Asked if his commitment to the party has paid off, he said, “Yes. I was made a member of a music institute in UP when Behenji became the CM.”
‘Pagla’ does not write songs. He composes tunes on a harmonium. And that’s where the role of party cadre, like Ghulam Kiwiriya, comes in. Based in Ambedkarnagar, Kiwiriya has lost count of the number of songs he has written till now.
“It must be around 800 songs. In 2005, Behenji had called me to Delhi and that’s when my songs were recorded in a studio,” says Kiwiriya, a weaver who has been with the party since its founding days. “Many songs written by me have not only been sung by big singers but also other singers in the party.” The songs reflect the ideology of the party and are inspired by the Bahujan movement.
Kiwiriya can sing himself too. He is also called to sing at party events and campaigns. “I only request those who call me to pay the fare, at least.” “In villages, where pamphlets do not communicate much, it is the song that works out the connection with voters,” he says.
Kiwiriya could be heard singing at the rallies that the party is organising in every state for the Lok Sabha elections.
Thereafter he came to be known as Kishore Kumar Pagla by party workers and leaders. “Behenji knows me and calls me for party events,” says the 70-year-old who is busy these days with BSP campaigns and public rallies of senior leaders where he sings folk songs.
“Kanshi Ram ji kahte the, arre pagle, tune mujhe apna diwana bana diya. He loved my andaaz (Kanshi Ram Ji used to say that I had impressed him with my songs and style of singing),” the BSP cadre in Ambedkarnagar said.
In one of the election rallies of Akash Anand, held in April in Ambedkarnagar, he was present on the stage, singing. “A few years ago, I met him at a party event in Patna, where I sang in front of him. People wonder how I sing so effortlessly even at this age. But it’s my passion to sing, and sing for my party,” said Pagla, who counts himself among the committed cadre of BSP. He has no training to boast of.
“I picked it up from the womenfolk of my village, who used to sing on every occasion. In the weddings, they sang gaalis (cuss words) and sohar on dholak. I used to sing with them,” says ‘Pagla’ who was born in a Dalit family in a nondescript village in Mau. “We had some land. Before I joined BSP, I did odd jobs to take care of my family,” he says.
In 1984, when a few people from the Bahujan movement reached his village to encourage Dalits to join DS-4 (Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti), he became a part of the social movement that Kanshi Ram had launched. “I had studied a little. The movement told us about great thinkers, from every religion. I got moved by it all and joined the party,” he added.
Other than doing the works he was given at the party, he also took to entertaining people with his songs and that’s how he got noticed by Kanshi Ram.
“On one of the Behenji’s birthdays, Kanshi Ram Ji had called me to Delhi and there he told her, ‘tum isko apne karyakram mein le jaao, istemaal karo, tum bhashan dena, yeh gaana gayega’ (take him to your programmes, he will sing while you address people).”
Asked if his commitment to the party has paid off, he said, “Yes. I was made a member of a music institute in UP when Behenji became the CM.”
‘Pagla’ does not write songs. He composes tunes on a harmonium. And that’s where the role of party cadre, like Ghulam Kiwiriya, comes in. Based in Ambedkarnagar, Kiwiriya has lost count of the number of songs he has written till now.
“It must be around 800 songs. In 2005, Behenji had called me to Delhi and that’s when my songs were recorded in a studio,” says Kiwiriya, a weaver who has been with the party since its founding days. “Many songs written by me have not only been sung by big singers but also other singers in the party.” The songs reflect the ideology of the party and are inspired by the Bahujan movement.
Kiwiriya can sing himself too. He is also called to sing at party events and campaigns. “I only request those who call me to pay the fare, at least.” “In villages, where pamphlets do not communicate much, it is the song that works out the connection with voters,” he says.
Kiwiriya could be heard singing at the rallies that the party is organising in every state for the Lok Sabha elections.
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