Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma attends inauguration of birth centenary celebrations of music maestro Bhupen Hazarika

Guwahati: Assam chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya today paid rich tributes to music maestro Bhupen Hazarika on the occasion of inauguration of his birth centenary celebrations.

Speaking on the occasion, 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 year-long 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 Dr. 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.T

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. T

The Chief Minister said Sudhakantha Dr. 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 a year-long celebrations of events to mark his centenary. On September 13, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people of the state would once again pay tribute to Dr. 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 Dr. Hazarika.

On that day, the Prime Minister would also unveil a beautifully written book on DR. Hazarika, the translated version of which into all Indian languages would be sent to the libraries of every college and university across the country. Synchronizing with the celebration of ‘Year of Books’, the government would also distribute this special book on Dr. Hazarika to 20 lakh families in Assam, Dr. Sarma added.

The Chief Minister said that as a part of the centenary celebrations, the State government would organize 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 Dr. Hazarika’s thoughts, ideals, and philosophy and project them at the world stage.

He on the occasion also called upon the people to lend their efforts in keeping Dr. Hazarika evergreen. He emphasized 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 Dr. Hazarika and called upon everybody to preserve his memory along with his rich legacy.