Debajyoti Mishra composes anthem in memory of Aabesh

KOLKATA: Music director Debajyoti Mishra has composed an anthem in the memory of Aabesh Dasgupta. Mishra, who has known Aabesh’s father for over two decades, insists that the 17-year-old couldn’t have met with an accidental death.
Said Mishra, “My friend Suman Some wrote the lyrics: ‘Sob sesh tobu swapner desh rekhe jae resh e aabesh/ Baki sholojon chup mukhete kulup/ Akashta khoto kichhu sajano omot-o…’ I intend to record this song in a day or two.” Mishra also plans to release the anthem on YouTube.
Like Aabesh’s family members, the music director is convinced that influential people are pulling strings. “What’s most shocking is that so many kids were present there and yet most of them fled after seeing their friend so grievously injured,” he pointed out.
On being told that the youngsters could have fled out of fear at the turn of events, Mishra relived an incident from his youth. “I too have crossed that age. I remember once my friends and I had bought booze. I was new to drinks and had consumed the booze directly without mixing water. That had a very adverse impact on my health. I had started vomiting profusely. When my condition deteriorated, everyone got very scared. Yet, no one of them left me in the lurch. They took me over to a common friend’s residence to ensure that I recovered. The guardians of my friends arranged for medical help. The next day, they sat me down and explained the dos and don’ts,” he recalled.
What Mishra finds shocking is that in case of Aabesh, his “so-called friends” actually fled even when they saw him so seriously injured. “Have parents also lost their sense of moral and social responsibility? Has society changed so much that friendship has lost its relevance? Then we can no longer sing a song like ‘bondhu chol (Friend, let’s go)’. It’s about ‘bondhu choli (Friend, I’m going)!’” he explained.
The music composer isn’t too happy that society has undergone such a sea change. “How is it that friends can think of throwing a surprise party for a person who is in mourning? Even if teenagers make this mistake, isn’t it the responsibility of elders to correct them? When we were young, birthdays meant celebrations over payesh or cake. Today, the whole narrative has changed drastically. Sadly, youngsters are paying a heavy price for it,” he signed off.