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World Music Day: Delhi Police officials confess their love for musical notes
On World Music Day, June 21, some Delhi Police personnel share how they find solace in music as they stay in sync with the rhythm of law. From writing lyrics to singing, they keep themselves connected with the mellifluous notes to fuel their passion.
Delhi Police officials, known for their relentless dedication to maintaining law and order, carry out their duties with unwavering focus. However, beneath the resounding blare of patrolling cars, there exists a harmonious dimension that has become an integral part of their lives. As people celebrate World Music Day (June 21), HT City delves into the lives of three Delhi Police personnel who share how they find solace in this expressive medium while staying in sync with the rhythm of the law.
Anil Samota: Can’t go ao day without music
“Due to my friend, poet Dinesh Raghuvanshi, I started exploring my interest in writing poems in 2012,” says Anil Samota, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Connaught Place. During his education, he remembers how he initially pursued science but later shifted to Hindi during his Masters, as he was keen to write. “Hindi is a language that can teach a person to express wholeheartedly. That’s why I write my songs and lyrics in it... My very first song that caught attention of the masses was the Sadar Bazar song that I wrote for the awareness of a cleaner area while I was posted as the SHO of the area. Then I wrote the lyrics for the song Abhimaan Mera, over a course of two years, before it was adapted as the Delhi Police song in 2020,” recounts Samota, who joined the Police in 1989 adding, “Now, I can’t go a day without music.”
Brij Bhushan Tyagi: Music is my first love
“In 1981, I skipped my studies in BSc Agriculture and wished to shift base to Mumbai, to try my luck at song and script writing. But alas! I joined the Delhi Police on May 1, 1982 and my father wanted me to do nothing else than serve the nation as he was an army officer himself,” recalls sub-inspector Tyagi. But this didn’t deter Tyagi’s spirit to pursue his passion. Having worked as a lyricist with some eminent names in Hindi cinema such as Nitin Mukesh, Udit Narayan, and Kavita Krishnamoorthy, to name a few, this cop based in Shahdara’s Jagat Puri Police Station, is all set to take up music full time after his retirement next month. “I had only one desire, all my life, which is to be recognised for my words and songs. Earlier I would salary my salary for five-six months to go to Mumbai. Now having done my duty well, I aim to satisfy the hunger of my soul through music, my first love.”
Rajat Rathor: I am a singer first
His mother was his inspiration when Rajat Rathor — a constable in the Fourth Battalion at GTB Nagar — started singing. His rendition of the song, Teri Mitti (Kesari; 2019) that was dedicated to Corona warriors not only trended then but has since made him a household name. “I started singing when I was in class VIII, and developed my guitar skills a year later as I have learned a bit of everything including classical music, guitar and music production,” shares Rathor, who joined Delhi Police in 2017. “People think I’m just a cop who sings. But the reality is that I am a singer who joined the Delhi Police, and will always be a singer first. Music is my first love. I don’t take out any specific time to pursue my passion because when you love something, you always have time for it.”
Author tweets @maishascribbles
