After G20 meets, Siliguri awaits mega concert

MANAS R BANNERJEE, SNS, 1 APRIL 2023 : People in this region are witnessing two mega events. At a time when the 2nd Tourism Working Group Meeting under India's G20 Presidency is being in Siliguri and Darjeeling, music lovers of this region will be witnessing a live concert of Arijit Singh, an Indian playback singer and music composer, at the Kanchenjungha stadium on 4 April evening, the last day of the G20 meetings.

G20 delegates and other officials arrived at Bagdogra from Delhi in a special flight amid a colourful welcome ceremony at the airport and even at a tea resort at New Chamta tea plantation in Siiguri today.

The Tourism Working Group then left for Makaibari Tea Estate in Kurseong (SNS photo), where, after visiting the tea factory, they joined their scheduled programme at another resort where Union

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region, C Kishan Reddy addressed a session on Adventure Tourism as a vehicle for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

A similar meeting will he held in Siliguri tomorrow on different subjects related to tourism. Foreign delegates will leave for Darjeeling on 3 April for sight-seeing where they will also enjoy a ride in the world heritage Toy Train.

Significantly, as the delegates of Group of Twenty leaves Siliguri on 4 April, people of this region will be witnessing the craze of Arijit Singh's live concert, which will begin at 6.30 pm.

It may be noted here that as the common people, including the stakeholders associated with the tourism industry, am not directly involved in the G20 meetings, they are virtually suffering from the "Arijit fever."

Organisers of the concert, with the help of both the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and the Darjeeling district administration, have made arrangements to host 14,000 people in different categories of tickets on the basis of their prices at the Kanchenjungha stadium that evening.

According to the organisers, the earlier tickets have been exhausted, and that they had to go for additional space on demand to accommodate more audience at minimum ticket prices.

It may he noted here that Arijit himself in his Facebook post has appealed to his followers and informed them of his Siliguri tour.

One of the organisers, Nishikant Agarwal, said: "Almost 50 percent tickets were sold off even before Arijit's Facebook post. We have received massive response from his followers from different corners of North Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar and even from Guwahati."

"Our dream is to present a beautiful evening by presenting the very popular singer Arijit Singh just to showcase and highlight Siliguri as a cosmopolitan city, a gateway to the Northeast region. We have made all arrangements systematically to conduct the programme peacefully," Nishikant Agarwal said, adding, "The entire zone for the audience will be alcohol free.

Alcohol will be prohibited inside. Several volunteers will keep a close eye on the audience and will take care of them, watching the situation. No water bottles will also be allowed from outside. Volunteers will supply drinking water as and when required. Sufficient bio washrooms will be available inside.

The audience will be requested to enter the stadium in advance to avoid rush before the beginning of the concert."

Interestingly, one of the organisers, Chiradeep Dutta, disclosed that he first conceived the idea to organise the Live Concert of Arijit, when another key person Sovik Agarwal said: "Siliguri used to host such mew concerts. But it was discontinued incidentally. We have decided to bring back the culture and tradition to maintain the glory of Siliguri."