Poverty never derails ‘Dotara Pagol’ Suklal Roy
Suklal Roy, 37, is known as Dotara Pagol in his village, where the residents are in awe of his skills with the instrument. The artiste lives in the village Kalisthan of Kamlabari union, at Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat.
At the age of seven, Suklal fell in love with the mellifluous tone of the dotara. A motorcycle mechanic by profession, he often forgets about his job, moving from village to village with his instrument, singing his heart out with various folk songs. He is especially adept at Bhawaiya.
Often struggling to make a living because of his erratic lifestyle, his wife and two school-going children often have to struggle to feed themselves. Yet, it does not bother Suklal, who considers music to be all that matters.
He teaches the instrument to the children of the village, free of charge. "I have no money and maybe never will, but I will never give up my Dotara. I want to play it till my last breath," said an emotional Suklal.
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