It is not how most people picture police officers, but there he is, uniformed, mask on, strumming a guitar and singing well loved film songs to ease the tension at the station as people stranded in Jammu finally make the journey home.
A three-minute clip of Jammu and Kashmir police officer Bikram Kumar singing Bollywood songs in that unlikeliest of places, the railway station, on Thursday has been shared widely on social media, making him a social media star of sorts.
The deputy superintendent of police in Jammu (East) said it all happened in the spur of the moment. He saw a person carrying a guitar and walking towards the railway station and spontaneously asked him for it.
He then began belting out songs, “Papa Kehte Hain ” from Aamir Khan’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Gulabi Aankhen Jo Teri Dekhin, Sharabi Yeh Dil Ho Gaya from Rajesh Khanna’s The Train .
The Papa Kehte Hain probably came from his missing his 16-month-old daughter Myrah, said the 35-year-old, smiling at comments that he has become a star.
“I have been on duty for many days and because of COVID-19, I am unable to see my daughter Myrah.”
Little Myrah, who is at her grandparents home, was delighted at videos of her father singing.
“My wife is a doctor and Myrah is at my in-law’s home. I received a video call from my in-laws today to show how Myrah was dancing on seeing my clips and shouting Papa…I think that was the best gift for my spontaneous action performed to cheer up stranded passengers moving out of Jammu,” Kumar told PTI.
He added that the team had gone to the station to oversee the first train leaving for Delhi and to ensure there is no law and order situation.
“….I am happy my effort brought smiles on the faces of the people in the prevailing COVID-19 scare, the 2011 batch KPS officer said on people filming his concert .
Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh also shared the video on his Twitter handle.
The video generated 18.9 K views and was shared, liked and praised by many users.
“The gesture shown by SDPO East Jammu is a unique one. Since trains have to start operation in a new protocol, passengers have to wait in a queue for some time. What better than a live guitar performance while they waited for their chance to board the train,” the IGP told PTI.
He said police officers of Jammu province had risen to the occasion and devised unique ways to manage situations which otherwise could lead to law and order problems.
“SDPO Bikram has utilised his creativity to entertain the people and do his duty at the same time. I also appreciate the person who lent his guitar to the SDPO for this short while,” Singh said.
Kumar, a B.Tech from NIT Hamirpur, said he started playing the guitar when he moved to Delhi for a job in the corporate sector after completing his engineering. That’s when he bought his first guitar.
“After returning to Jammu, I started playing the guitar more often during get togethers with friends and at family functions,” the officer, a self-taught guitarist, said. His wife is posted as a registrar at a Jammu hospital.
The first special train with 1,000 passengers, including students arrived at Jammu Tawi Railway station from Delhi on Thursday morning. It left back for Delhi in the evening.
