Appeal

Save Sagor Baul

Farhana Urmee

From the very first day that Sagor started performing on stage people loved him.

Eshob dekhi kanar haat bazaar– the song by Lalon speaks of those who keep their eyes of knowledge closed and remain ignorant for eternity. It is a favourite of possibly the youngest Lalon exponent in the country- nine-year-old Sagor Baul. According to Sagor's father, when Sagor is asked why he sings Lalon songs the boy's answer is: “there is an inner meaning in every song of Lalon and the urge to learn makes Sagor love Lalon songs.” This love has made Sagor a lover of Lalon songs and an artiste at the age of five.

Nine-year-old Sagor Baul has found singing to be his calling and can make an audience cry with emotion when he sings. But the irony of fate is that Sagor, whose voice has the power to mesmerise and move, is now suffering in a hospital diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which causes severe kidney complications.

Sagor's impoverished family cannot afford his treatment abroad which requires approximately Tk 50 lakh. Specialists are unable to treat him in Bangladesh and have recommended that Sagor be taken to Singapore as early as possible and be provided the necessary treatment. Earlier, Sagor was admitted to the Department of Child Haematology at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later was taken to Square Hospital. Doctors kept him under a close watch in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital till last Friday.

Sagor Baul, who is studying in class III in Bannai Bidya Niketan School, has never had any symptoms of the disease until the day he was taken to hospital with severe stomach-ache and vomiting. Unfortunately Sagor, a little boy, has to worry about the expenses of his treatment while he helplessly lies in the hospital bed. Moreover, he has to worry about the household expenses as well since his family is dependent on the money that he earns by performing on stage.

“When he talks to me, his thoughts and ideas seem a lot more mature than his age. I often forget that he is a nine-year-old boy. It seems as if I am talking to my father not my son,” says Md Abdul Alim, Sagor Baul's father. Sagor was born in Jessore and migrated to Dhaka with his family when he was only 14 days old. Day labourer Abdul Alim never thought that his son would become such a passionate lover of music and a singer at this tender age.

Sagor did not get any formal training in music from his family, nor was he brought up in any kind of cultural environment. The God gifted talent found a path towards fortune, thinks Sagor's father. “Once when we were heading to Jessore, Sagor started singing loudly by the bus window seeing the Padma River. I did not notice it at that time but Shamir Baul (Sagor's Guru) who was travelling in the same bus noticed Sagor’s singing and approached me and asked if I would let Sagor learn music from him. After coming back to Dhaka I forgot about Sagor's singing and Shamir Baul until the day Sagor saw Shamir Baul on TV and cried out 'my guru! my guru!'. Then I decided to go to Shamir Baul and buy Sagor a harmonium.”

From the very first day that Sagor started performing on stage people loved him. Already three of his albums have been released with two more in the pipeline. Sagor Baul, who is a lover of spiritual music and has won the hearts of thousands wants to appear before the audience again with his tremendous singing voice. As his ailment is not an untreatable one his family hopes that the music lovers will not let this talent die because he does not have enough funds for treatment. If the well-off members of the society help Sagor this remarkable child prodigy may have a chance to live.

Contributions can be made to Sagor Baul, Son of Md Abdul Alim, Account Number: 000 983 402 4272, National Bank Limited, Pragati Sharani Branch, Dhaka. Interested people can extend their hand and make contributions for Sagor's treatment so that he can come back and sing again.