Rajat Rathor was only 17 years old when his father, a Delhi Police constable, passed away. The incident changed his life. Back then, Mr. Rathor was aiming to become a singer, but is now a constable in the same force.
Recently, Mr. Rathor’s rendition of a song, he sung for COVID-19 warriors went viral on social media and it was loved beyond his expectations. “I uploaded the video on Facebook at night and by morning, it already had a few hundred shares. It had gone viral,” he told The Hindu.
Since his school days, Mr. Rathor, resident of Bhajanpura, was into music. He started playing harmonium when he was in Class 8 and fought with his father, Madan Rathor who was last posted in Ashok Vihar police station, to buy him a guitar in Class 9.
“I remember he scolded me when I asked for it and said this is a waste of money. But, I forced him and my teachers at school also convinced my father about my skill. He agreed at last,” the officer said.
Change in plans
In the next three years, in Class 12, Mr. Rathor had not only learnt how to play the guitar but had also started teaching it.
“The plan was to give auditions for reality shows, perform and venture out on a journey of playback singing. I had even uploaded my videos on YouTube,” he said, adding that he had even gone to give an audition, but left because it was overcrowded.
However, Mr. Rathor’s father died of jaundice in 2015, when he was in Class 12.“I wanted to pursue a career in music, but my mother told me that I had to take up a stable government job for the family’s future. So, I applied for my father’s post on compensation ground as soon as I turned 18 the next year,” he said
As the process was under way, Mr. Rathor joined Delhi University’s Ramjas College to pursue Hindi (Hons). Remembering his time in college, He said he used to sit for hours with students of the college music society. “I also performed a few gigs at restobars in South and East Delhi,” he said. In 2017, his application was accepted and he was inducted into the police force. “I didn’t want to join the force. Didn’t want to become a policeman. But destiny had other plans for me. And now, this is the reason which has made me famous,” he grinned.
Posted in 2nd battalion and mostly working on computer because of his technical skills, Mr. Rathor has only gone on COVID-19 duty a few times but feels strongly for the ones who are on the job everyday. He said that he’ll continue making music besides work. “I’ll keep putting out the videos. If something has to happen, it will happen. If I love my music, I love my uniform equally”.
Though Mr. Rathor hasn’t heard from the top brass, a lot of officers, who had earlier not even heard his name, now know him and encourage his singing.