Introduction. Modelling Exemplarity in South Asia

Abstract

In 2007, Prashant Tamang, a young Indian police officer of Nepalese origin, became the winner of the third edition of the television show 'Indian Idol'.This victory was made possible by the mobilization of Tamang's profession-the Indian Police force-and of his ethnic community -Indians of Nepalese descent-both in India and abroad.The young man had captured the imagination of these two groups with his musical talent but also with his life-story and personality.Born and educated in Darjeeling, Tamang had joined the police force to support his family after his father's demise, and it is in the Calcutta police orchestra that he perfected his musical gift.Along with Tamang's family values and self-made-man-ship (he never received any formal musical education), his supporters seem to have appreciated that '[Tamang] thinks of himself as a simple person, with simple thoughts and simple living'. 1 Although role models can also, like saints, derive their appeal from their exceptionality, Prashant Tamang's fans looked up at him as a role model for his simplicity, as suggested by the following comments, which were posted on an Internet forum discussing the results of the show: I admit Amit's the better singer but being an idol isnt just abt great singing.It's also about being a role model for others and Prashant is a great one coz he's so humble n down to earth!Besides, Prashant didnt have any formal training to begin with so stop dishing his voice.U have to touch the hearts of people n Prashant has done tat to millions of people with his nature n also attitude! 2 2The modelling of Prashant Tamang as an exemplary figure by his supporters, with the support of the Indian audiovisual industry, epitomizes many of the themes developed in this issue of SAMAJ.Like many of the candidates to exemplarity discussed in this issue, Tamang was imagined by his fans and promoters as a 'person of accomplishment' (Mines 1994: 16), and more specifically as a virtuous self-made man with strong family values.As many contributions to this issue suggest, this conjunction of inherited virtues and personal achievement, combining an 'ontological conception of value' with the 'logic of the proof' (Albert 1999: 19), is one of the distinguishing trends of contemporary politics of Introduction. Modelling Exemplarity in South Asia

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