From Crime Control to Cadence: DSP (HQ) Bikram Prasad Steals the Spotlight at Balurghat Pithe-Puli Festival

January 16, 2026  Times of Dakshin Dinajpur 

From Maintaining Law to Celebrating Tradition

Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat

Under strings of soft lights and the aroma of freshly made pithas, an unexpected performer took center stage on Thursday evening at Balurghat’s much-loved Pithe-Puli Festival. The audience, drawn by melody and mood, soon realized they were listening not to a touring musician, but to Bikram Prasad, DSP (Headquarters), Dakshin Dinajpur—a senior police officer revealing a quieter, lyrical side.

The performance unfolded at the pavilion of Muktakshar Sahitya Srot, a local literary collective participating in the 10-day festival organized by Sanket Club. Modeled after the cultural fairs of Santiniketan, the festival brings together folk traditions, Baul singers, literature, and food. Yet few moments this year proved as arresting as the sight of a uniformed guardian of law trading authority for artistry.

Accompanied by just two instrumentalists, DSP Bikram Prasad moved effortlessly through modern Bengali songs and emotionally charged melodies. The restrained arrangement amplified the intimacy of the performance, drawing spontaneous applause and rhythmic clapping from the crowd packed tightly before the stage.

For members of Muktakshar, the moment was long anticipated. DSP Bikram Prasad is a familiar presence at their pavilion, where evenings are spent in literary discussions and cultural adda. Known among them not only as a police officer but as a committed lover of music and literature, he had been gently persuaded to sing one day. On Thursday night, that informal request found its voice.

“Others will judge him as a police officer,” said Debashish Adhikari, editor of Muktakshar Sahitya Srot. “But as a human being—an artist, a literature lover—he is exceptional. He joins us every day, shares ideas, and today he honored our request. We feel truly fortunate.” Debasish Adhikari also credited organizations like Sanket Club for sustaining such inclusive cultural spaces, where boundaries between officialdom and creativity dissolve with ease.

For many in attendance, DSP Prasad’s performance offered more than entertainment. It stood as a reminder that beyond the rigors of crime control and administrative responsibility, public servants too carry private passions—and that when shared, those passions can deepen a community’s connection to both culture and authority.As the final notes faded into the festival night, one sentiment lingered among the audience: Balurghat had not just witnessed a concert, but a rare harmony between duty and devotion, law and lyric.