In a Village Near Balurghat, a Day of Running, Remembrance and Song

• The Pulse of the Village

KAMAL KUMAR BISWAS.TOD.TAPAN

On Saturday, residents gathered in the Purba Nimur area of Balapur for a daylong program that blended public service, tribute and folk culture, an effort organizers said was meant to strengthen community bonds while advancing a message of humanity.

The initiative was led by “Suprabhat,” a local voluntary group, whose members began the morning with a marathon stretching from Laskarhat to the Balapur intersection. People of varied ages joined the run, some competing, others jogging in solidarity, as onlookers lined parts of the route and cheered.Later in the morning, participants paused to honor the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack, offering floral tributes and moments of silence. Several prominent figures from Dakshin Dinajpur district attended and praised the volunteers for linking commemoration with civic action.A blood donation camp followed. By early afternoon, organizers said, 54 donors had given blood, responding to what volunteers described as a continuing need in local hospitals. The gesture, they added, was intended to transform sympathy into tangible help.

As evening approached, the focus shifted from athletics and service to the arts. Local performers took the stage with songs, dance and recitations, creating what many in the audience described as a festive, almost fairlike atmosphere.

The highlight for many was a performance by Baul singers, whose devotional folk traditions drew sustained applause. Spectators sat closely packed, some recording the music on their phones, others swaying quietly.Members of Suprabhat said they hoped the combination of remembrance, physical activity and culture would endure as a model for future programs. More than a single event, they described it as an appeal — to empathy, to unity and to a shared civic life rooted in both service and tradition.