99th Birth Anniversary of Bhupen Hazarika

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India penned a heartfelt tribute on the occasion of Bhupen Hazarika’s 99th birth anniversary.

About Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

• Early Life and Education: Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, also known as the ‘Bard of Brahmaputra’ and ‘Sudhakantha’(the Nightingale), was born on September 8, 1926, in Sadiya, Assam, to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika.
  • Later, his family later moved to Guwahati, Dhubri, and Tezpur, where he was introduced to the world of music and cinema.
  • By 1936, he had recorded his first song in Kolkata and sung for Agarwala’s film Indramalati.
  • In 1949, he secured a scholarship at Columbia University, completing his Ph.D. in 1952 on audio-visual techniques in adult education.

Multifaceted Career

• Teaching and Early Career: Hazarika briefly worked at All India Radio, Guwahati, and later as a lecturer at Gauhati University.
  • He composed the university’s anthem Jilikaba Luitare Paar before moving to Kolkata to pursue music and cinema full-time.
• Music and Cultural Contributions: His music reflected nature, love, and fraternity, drawing richly from Assamese landscapes and tribal traditions.
  • Songs like Bistorno Parare (inspired by Robeson’s Ol’ Man River) and Xoixobore Dhemalite captured both local beauty and universal struggles.
  • He composed in Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and several other languages, spreading messages of unity and peace.
• Cinema: Notable Assamese films include Era Bator Sur (1956), Shakuntala (1960), and Siraj (1988).
  • His influence reached Hindi and Bengali cinema with films such as Rudaali (1994) and Simana Periye (1978).
  • He created documentaries like Through Melody and Rhythm (1977) showcasing Northeast India’s folk culture.

Political and Social Engagement

• He was elected to the Assam Legislative Assembly in 1967 and served as President of the Assam Sahitya Sabha in 1993.
• He worked to bridge diverse communities, promoting fraternity across Northeast India’s many tribes and cultures, through Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA).

Awards and Recognition

• Dr. Bhupen Hazarika received numerous national and international honors:
  • Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992);
  • National Film Award (1975) for Chameli Memsahab;
  • Padma Shri (1977), Padma Bhushan (2001), Padma Vibhushan (2012, posthumous), Bharat Ratna (2019, posthumous);
  • Muktijoddha Padak (2011, Bangladesh, posthumous).
• He was honored with commemorative postal stamps and the naming of the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu, India’s longest river bridge.

Legacy

• Dr. Bhupen Hazarika passed away on November 5, 2011, in Mumbai. His life embodied the spirit of Assam and the Northeast, weaving music, poetry, and cinema into a unifying cultural force.
• His songs, sung across borders and generations, remain timeless testaments to humanity, fraternity, and the beauty of life.
• Bhupen Hazarika’s journey epitomized the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. Through his art, he gave Assam visibility on the national stage and shaped its modern cultural identity.

Source: IE