Nachiketa performs. Picture by Goutam Haldar

Balurghat, March 28: He came to sing and ended up campaigning for a cause.

Nachiketa arrived here yesterday for a cultural show at the Rabindra Bhavan Mancha this evening. While checking into the guest house of the Balurghat Municipality, he noticed that a roadshow was being staged outside by a local cultural organisation called Bahar. The outfit’s members had set up a makeshift stage on the pavement and were entertaining passersby with songs while collecting donations from them.

On enquiry, Nachiketa learnt that Bahar planned to hand over the proceeds to a social organisation Prayas Atreyee, which is keen to set up a cancer hospital-cum-research centre here.

This moved the singer, who had lost his mother to the disease. He praised the efforts of the organisation and reached for his wallet to give a donation to Bahar. His troupe members followed suit.

Nachiketa promised the organisation that he would help in its campaign to raise funds for the hospital.

Braving the sweltering heat today, Nachiketa and his fellow artistes joined the Bahar troupe for a street performance in front of the South Dinajpur district magistrate’s office.

For one-and-a-half hours, Nachiketa regaled the people on the streets with his hit numbers, including Nilanjana and Manush Manusher Jannye.

The crowd, which grew as news spread that Nachiketa was performing live, joined in and sang along.

He then began collecting funds himself by going around with the donation box and asking the people to contribute generously.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Nachiketa said: “Cancer is my old enemy as it claimed my mother. That is why when I saw Bahar putting up a show for cancer benefit, I could not restrain myself. I felt I should also pitch in and do something to help in the noble cause. What the organisation is doing is extremely commendable. Last evening itself, I told Bahar that I would perform with its volunteers,” Nachiketa said.

The singer promised to return to Balurghat and do a show free of cost. The proceeds from the ticket sale would go to the cancer cause, he said.

Bahar’s members were overwhelmed by Nachiketa’s gesture. “It was very nice of him. His participation will be a huge boost to our campaign. It was a certificate that we are on the right track,” said Bahar members Babua Das and Somdatta Chakraborty.