Bengal tragically lost one of its foremost folk artists with the untimely demise of Kalikaprasad Bhattacharya on Tuesday morning. The 46-year-old artist who is survived by his wife and daughter was killed in a road accident in Hooghly.
The front man of Dohar band was on his way to attend a musical concert in Birbhum when the mishap took place. The singer's vehicle was near Gurap in Hooghly when the driver lost control after the front tyre burst. Following this, the car smashed into a nearby railing and fell into a 15 foot deep roadside ditch.
Startled by the loud noise, when the local people rushed to the site, they found the car in the ditch. Immediately, they pulled out the occupants. Kalikaparad who was bleeding profusely was rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Also, three of his co-passengers are battling for their lives.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while expressing her grief on the musician's demise, tweeted: " I express deep condolences at the death of Kalikaprasad Bhattacharya. He was very close to people. During the Singur- Nandigram movement, his songs had inspired us. As the founder of Dohar, he played an important role in popularising Bengali folk music. The West Bengal government had awarded him Sangeet Samman in 2015 recognising his contribution to music.
I express deepest condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace."
Several prominent artists and fans thronged the noted singer's Santoshpur residence, including Aroop Biswas, state youth services, and sports minister.
Kalikaprasad's mortal remains were kept in Rabindra Sadan where several artists and fans gathered to pay homage to the singer. Banerjee placed a floral wreath on his body at the toll plaza on Vidyasagar Setu. Also, Indranil Sen, State minister of state for Information and Cultural Affairs along with Mayor Sovan Chattopadhyay, Mala Roy chairperson, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Purnadas Baul, Nirbed Roy were present to express their condolences.
Acclaimed composer Debajyoti Misra said, "Kalikaprasad doing a research on folk music. His death is a great loss for our industry." Also, Haiminti Shukla said, "It came as a deep shock to us. He played a leading role in promoting folk music in Bengal."