Chinese community unites to cheer Chang..

Kolkata: He is a Chinese by birth, and a dentist by profession. But this shy 24-year old is singing his way to people's hearts all over India. Meiyang Chang, the Indian Idol 3 finalist, has a mellifluous voice, which has secured him a berth among the top 10 contestants of the popular music show aired on Thursday through Saturday on Sony Entertainment Television. Chang, a resident of Dhanbad, has continued to woo the audiences all over the country ever since the beginning of the show. Now, he seems to have imbibed a fresh life into the Chinese community of Kolkata, which is not just going gaga over the young Chang, but also coming together and striving hard to ensure him the top-slot in the show. Kolkata has been home to many Chinese people since time immemorial. The local Chinese, as they are known, are involved in trades including tannery, dentistry, restaurant business and beauty parlour business. With most Chinese youths having either of these backgrounds, Meiyang Chang's passion for music is setting him a class apart. A self-confessed bathroom singer, Chang has no formal training in music. Still, his melodious voice and his impeccable pronunciation of even the most complicated Hindi words have won him rave reviews from the audiences as well as the judges of the show, including noted lyricist Javed Akhtar, and celebrated music director Annu Maalek. Needless to say, with such a fan-following, Chang is creating quite a stir among the Chinese people of West Bengal. More than 6,000 Chinese people reside in Tangra and Tiretti Bazar areas of central Kolkata, and they are all geared up to bring their blue-eyed boy among the top-5 contenders for the title of Indian Idol – Bharat ki Shaan. Chang has made the entire Chinese community proud, and they are doing all that they can to help Chang win the title. Chen Khoi Kui, the secretary of the South Tangra Chinese Youth Club says, "He is our pride. We will do whatever we can, and we're sure he'll reach the top-5". Elated at having a Chinese in the top-10 of a popular music show, the Chinese people stay glued to the television sets on the days Indian Idol 3 is aired, keeping their mobile handsets ready, and voting generously for the young boy. Marksong, an owner of a Chinese Pagoda says, "It feels really great. His recognition is our recognition." Chang, a Chinese journalist is equally happy, "He is making us really proud. We will continue voting for him". Besides voting for Chang, the Chinese community is putting up banners and posters in various parts of the city, and leading campaigns, urging the people to vote for him. Chen Khoi Kui says, "This is just our love for the boy who has made us proud. We will intensify our campaigning once he reaches the top-5 - which we are sure he will - and faces tough competition. Chang's mother, Mrs. Gai Chen Chang, has urged us to appeal for him". The Chinese community has elaborate plans of buying new sim cards and distributing them to people in order to increase the number of SMS votes sent in favour of Chang. They also plan to organize more campaigns, and put up more pictures of Chang. Khoi Kui, an admirer of Chang says, "We will urge people to continue voting for him. After all, a Chinese singing Hindi film songs so beautifully does deserve kudos." With so much effort being put in for Meiyang Chang, he sure seems to be standing a step above the other finalists from West Bengal, including Emon Chatterjee, Puja Chatterjee, and Prashant Tamang. And it is apparent in West Bengal – whether he wins the title or not, he has already become the Idol of the Chinese community of the state. By Divya Pathak