Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Monday paid rich tributes to Sudhakantha Bhupen Hazarika on behalf of the people of the State on the occasion of inauguration of his birth centenary celebrations at Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Tirtha at Jalukbari.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that he felt himself happy to be able to pay his tributes to the Bard of the Brahmaputra on behalf of the people of the State on his birth anniversary. The yearlong celebrations of the birth centenary of Sudhakantha have given an opportunity to the people to remember a multi-faceted personality could stir every heart through his immortal creations. Sarma said that Bhupen Hazarika’s entire life was a symbol of uniqueness, protest, deep passion and loyalty. He said Hazarika’s songs were never served only as a means of entertainment, they themselves were movements. His songs truly carried the hopes of the oppressed, the cries of the displaced and the dreams of the common people.
The Chief Minister said that he felt honoured to offer tribute at the samadhikshetra of this great soul of Assam. He also stated that today on the birth anniversary of Sudhakantha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute through an article that appeared in most leading national and regional newspapers. Besides reading out the article, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for his heartfelt tribute to Hazarika.
The Chief Minister said Sudhakantha Bhupen Hazarika belonged to the whole world. Yet his Assamese spirit and thoughts always kept him rooted in Assam. He further said that State government had launched year-long celebrations of events to mark his centenary. On October 13, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people of the State would once again pay tribute to Bhupen Hazarika.
During the event, the Prime Minister would also release a special commemorative coin prepared by the Reserve Bank of India in the honour of Hazarika. On that day, the Prime Minister would also unveil a beautifully written book on Hazarika, the translated version of which into all Indian languages would be sent to the libraries of every college and university across the country. Synchronising with the celebration of ‘Year of Books’, the Government would also distribute this special book on Hazarika to 20 lakh families in Assam, Sarma added.
The Chief Minister said that as a part of the centenary celebrations, the State Government would organiSe events in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.
The centenary inauguration would be graced by the Prime Minister, while the concluding ceremony would see the presence of President of India as the chief guest. He also mentioned that the construction of a museum dedicated to Bhupen Hazarika’s dreams would be completed within this period at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. This museum would play a crucial role in preserving Hazarika’s songs and creations. The Chief Minister moreover, sought public suggestions on how best the centenary celebrations would be commemorated keeping in view of Hazarika’s thoughts, ideals and philosophy and project them at the world stage.
Sarma moreover, said that Sudhakantha Bhupen Hazarika did not belong only to the Government; he belonged to the people as a whole. Therefore, alongside the Government, the Chief Minister urged the people of Assam to celebrate his centenary at different levels. He said that as per the recommendation of the Core Committee of the Centenary Celebrations, ‘Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Kshetra’ will henceforth be known as the ‘Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Tirtha. He on the occasion urged upon everyone that during Bohag Bihu, at least one day should be dedicated to the immortal creations of Sudhakantha across the State.
He on the occasion also called upon the people to lend their efforts in keeping Hazarika evergreen. He emphasised that in difficult times the people of Assam must work fearlessly to uphold Assamese identity through Hazarika’s ideals and inspirations.
He urged the people of Assam to carry forward Hazarika’s ideals to safeguard the cultural, economic and political identity of the State.
On this occasion, he also paid his tributes to the parents of Hazarika and called upon everybody to preserve his memory along with his rich legacy.
Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Public Health Engineering Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, GMC Mayor Mrigen Sarania, Additional Chief Secretary B Kalyan Chakravarthy, Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Professor Nani Gopal Mahanta, Bhupen Hazarika’s son Tej Hazarika, noted singer and his brother Samar Hazarika, former MP Queen Oja, cultural activist Bidyut Kumar Bhuyan, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.