Amit is popular in shilong

Amit Paul trails Prashant in voting

SHILLONG [TST] : Singing sensation Amit Paul, who is in hot pursuit of the coveted Indian Idol little, seems to be trailing where it matters most - voting.
According to reports reaching here from Mumbai, despite his highly impressive performance in all the recent episodes of the contest hosted by Sony TV, Amit now runs the risk of being shown the door for no fault of his. Owing to inadequate support from fans, Amit is lagging behind Prashant Tamang of Darjeeling by a whopping three lakh votes.

Meghalaya's low key response, coupled with lack of effort to drum up public support are said to the prime reasons for this gap.

The Nepali-speaking cop, Prashant is said to have a better network of fans and added to this, his police background has helped his cause appreciably.

Informed sources said that Amit can easily catch up with Prashant, if a wave of awareness of voting is created not only in the State, but across the Northeastern Sister states, through initiatives of fans and well -wishers.

Some local fans have been making sporadic attempts at rousing the people. Last week some of them returned to book support for Amit in Assam's Barak Valley. At Silchar a Press Conference was held, followed by a rally taken out in the busy thoroughfares of the town and all this for the cause of garnering support for Amit. Although the frenzy witnessed last year, when Silchar's own Debojit Saha won the "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest", is missing, effort seems to have had salutary effect.

On Thursday Debojit called up The Shillong Times office to appeal to the people for backing up Amit. "I think he is capable of becoming Indian Idol, all he needs is people's support."

Calling from Kolkata where he is camping for cutting a new disc, Debojit informed that he would be in Guwahati soon for show and would seize the opportunity to canvass for Amit.

There are many ardent fans of Amit in Shillong who are of the view that before long a vigorous public participatory programme should be drawn up to garner support for Amit. The question is who will take the lead?

TST:- The Shillong Times.

http://www.shillongonline.com/index.php?name=News&file=a rticle&sid=523

'Indian Idol' unites northeast, all root for Amit Paul


Shillong singing sensation Amit Paul to make him the next 'Indian Idol' in a much-watched reality television contest.

The 24-year-old singer is now in the top five of the highly-rated 'Indian Idol' musical show on Sony TV where one contestant is eliminated based on the least number of votes received on SMS or through phone calls.

Leading the bandwagon for supporting Amit is Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang.

'We have conferred him the honorary title of Meghalaya's 'Brand Ambassador' to foster peace, communal harmony, and excellence,' the chief minister told IANS.

Lapang on Wednesday participated at a function here - organised by music lovers and several socio cultural groups - to drum up support for Amit.

'We are all proud of Amit for the success and fame he has attained so far. His achievements have helped people from all walks of life and communities to come together, and this aspect clearly reflects that music has no cultural barriers,' the chief minister said.

Giant hoardings and posters with Amit's photographs have sprung up across Meghalaya asking people to vote for him.

'There is a frenzy all over the place with the catchword now being Amit and only Amit. Some members of his fan club have opened a free telephone booth for people to vote for him, while an Internet cafe has also been set up exclusively to vote for Amit,' said K. Mawlong, a local singer.

Amit fever is also catching up in adjoining Assam with at least a dozen of the state's leading actors and singers organising a street campaign to garner votes for the Shillong youth.

'Amit is the pride of the northeast and we should all rise to the occasion and vote for him,' said Munin Baruah, a noted Assamese filmmaker.

Amit has been into singing since his childhood and had quit studies to pursue a career in singing - he can sing in six languages making him the darling of the 'Indian Idol' judges.

Another youth from Assam, 29-year old Debojit Saha, had earlier won Zee TV's 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005' earning him the coveted title 'India's Voice'.

If Emon is eliminated this week,I'm not gonna blame anyone except for Javed!!!!!!!!!😡😭 Pleeeeaaase vote for Emon!

trust me emon is dead

poor emon.

Originally posted by: ms_naughty_devi

If Emon is eliminated this week,I'm not gonna blame anyone except for Javed!!!!!!!!!😡😭 Pleeeeaaase vote for Emon!

seriously dey dun care wat judges say.
dun blame him. learn 2 respect elders. 😭

Originally posted by: pretuna

trust me emon is dead

poor emon.

u mean he's gone be out
don't say dead please😳😭

i know poor emon
😭

Indian Idol finalist Amit Paul in Top 3, to arrive in city tomorrow
Our Bureau
SHILLONG/GUWAHATI, Sept 1: In a bid to garner more support in his current musical journey to grab the top spot, Indian Idol finalist Amit Paul is scheduled to arrive in Guwahati on September 3 on his way to Shillong, the native place of the budding talent.
During his brief stay in Guwahati and Shillong, Amit is scheduled to meet Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang and music sensation of Asom Zubin Garg, apart from participating in some concerts and road shows in both the cities, sources from Sony Entertainment Television informed The Sentinel today.
It may be mentioned here the Meghalaya Chief Minister has already declared Amit as the "State's ambassador for peace and communal harmony" and extended him the full support of his Government.
According to the announced schedule, Amit would arrive at the LGB International Airport in Borjhar at around 7.30 am on Monday, where he will be welcomed in a traditional way with tribal songs and dances, including Bihu. On his way to Shillong from Borjhar airport, Amit is scheduled to attend a colourful rally at Barapani lake and proceed towards the Meghalaya capital with over 50 cars and motorcycles accompanying him.
On the same day in Shillong, Amit would attend several musical shows at various places such as Hotel Embassy and Bombay Bites restaurant, apart from visiting the AIR complex, said the sources.
Amit is scheduled to meet the Meghalaya Chief Minister at his official residence on September 4. And then he would leave for Guwahati, his 'second home' as he once termed. In Guwahati, Amit would meet the celebrities from the film and musical world of Asom, including Zubin Garg, on the same day.
The Shillong Arts and Music Lovers' Forum (SAMLF), the organization which has been spearheading the campaign in Amit's favour in the Northeast, is anxiously waiting for the 'homecoming' of the local lad, the organization sources said.
Amit has already emerged as the frontrunner in the Indian Idol contest after having made it to the top three finalists. Though noted lyricist Javed Akhtar has already hailed the Shillong talent as the rising star of the country's music industry, Amit would face a tough challenge in the next fortnight in the run-up to the coveted glory.
Legislators like Friday Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh, Zenith Sangma and individuals like Kalpana Modi had booked the PCOs at their own expenses to enable the people to vote for the Shillong singing sensation.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070829/asp/northeast/story_82 47346.asp


Making of Amit as Idol
- Reality show support for Paul cuts beyond cultural divide
PATRICIA MUKHIM
Amit Paul

Shillong, Aug. 28: Shillong went into a tizzy after Indian Idol wannabe, Amit Paul, was pushed into the elite band on Friday, finding a place among the top four left in the reality show. The Indian Idol show suddenly bridged the cultural divide in Meghalaya. And Amit Paul fans have quickly got into action.

The Shillong Arts and Music Lovers' Forum, which had spearheaded the Vote Amit Paul campaign, organised a series of public meetings to drum up support for this self-made singer.

At a public meeting on Jail Road Boys School on Saturday, people came from every corner of Meghalaya. Contingency plans were drawn up to improve Amit's vote bank. People were even ready to sponsor PCOs so that fans could vote from 9pm Friday to 8am.

Amit Paul's is the most articulated name in Shillong today. In fact, everything else, including politics, has taken a back seat even as people soak in the "feel-good" sensation. Amit's fan club cuts across all ages.

An 84-year-old grandmother from Mawlai is one avid fan. Friday after Friday she has been watching Amit in action. Alva Nongsiej, a young college student voted 2,800 times on her mobile even as she supervised her PCO at Mawlai Motsyiar.

Another diehard fan, Kalpana, said her family would sponsor a PCO in Mawlai this coming Friday.

There is no dearth of innovative strategies as far as Amit's fans are concerned. While some are sponsoring mobile phones and pre-paid cards to distribute to volunteers, others have been sending SMS texts to every part of India urging especially non-resident northeasterners to vote for Amit.

Net surfers who hit Sify.com for tidbits on Indian Idol are surprised that the maximum number of fanmail comes from Pakistan. So far, Amit has a tally of 8,688 messages.

Anosh Yakub from Lahore says, "I am your biggest fan; every time you sing you rock the stage." Joshua from Karachi has this exhortation for Amit fans: "Please vote as much as you can. Don't let us down and don't let Pakistan down too. Really wish I could vote. If I could I would have voted in thousands." Talk about music as a Track II diplomacy strategy! With reality TV shows, music has indeed transcended geographical and political boundaries.

Amit Paul is not just a good singer but a versatile one, singing in as many as six languages including Telugu. Chaitanya from Hyderabad says, "Amit, please sing a Telugu song because your Telugu accent is to good." Female admirers literally swoon over Amit's unconventional good looks and rock star image.

"After Debojit Saha of Voice of India fame, Amit is the next person from the Northeast to have made it to the top four slot in a reality TV show. But if the Northeast is to compete with Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and North Bengal (from where the other contestants hail), then the northeasterners will have to vote en bloc." This is what Kunal Mordani, secretary of the Shillong Arts and Music Lovers Forum had to say. Many Shillongites are already voting in four digit figures.

So if Amit Paul is to be Indian Idol III, he certainly needs a fan club cutting across the seven states and across India. Can the Northeast rise to the occasion?

Originally posted by: ms_naughty_devi

If Emon is eliminated this week,I'm not gonna blame anyone except for Javed!!!!!!!!!😡😭 Pleeeeaaase vote for Emon!

mri baat suno

emn waqai mein janay wala hai

jbhi judge ksi ki bht tareefkerta hai

uska last tyme hota

tht same happ wod anky

nd now wid emon

poor emon

i wld stop watchin this prog if hes out

i ll case II...

aah!

i dun want him out...

ahwww i hope he's out.. 😃