Jhilam RoyChowdhury
10/11/11
I was walking though a busy street in Guwahati looking for a particular shop, when I overheard a by passer, talking in his cell phone. Two words out of the Assamese conversation attracted my attention, ‘Bhupen da expired’. Bhupen Hazarika is the undisputed torchbearer of Assamese culture and the very identity of its people. He has been entertaining and enlightening the people of eastern India with his poetry and music for over 50 years.
Bhupen Hazarika was born in 1926 in Sadiya, Assam. He was academically brilliant and went on to do his Masters in Political Science from Banaras University in the year before India’s independence. He then pursued his PhD in Mass Communication from Columbia University, USA. Later on he received prestigious Lisle fellowship from Chicago University. He has also been blessed to his music with legend like Paul Robson.
Apart from being academically brilliant this child prodigy started his career as a child actor in the very second talkie of India and wrote and composed his very first song at the age of 10. In his long career in cinema and documentary he not only placed Assamese cinema in world map but also propagated better cinema movement in India for more than 40 years.
Bhupen Hazarika was a lyricist and composer in his own right. I grew up listening to his songs in the record player my mother proudly possessed. Even today his song instantly takes me away to my childhood memories. At that tender age I perceived the words as description of a beautiful land of river, water, rainfall and people. Never knowing at that age what Assam is and how it looks like, I imagined a beautiful landscape with greenery and moisture-full air and overflowing rivers. Surprisingly, when I actually get to see this land after 30 years, I find it exactly the way I imagined it years back in my tender mind. Such is the power of his lyrics and music. It took many more years for me to actually internalise the meaning of his words, his endless optimism to awaken humane values, search for his destiny, appeal for humanity and equality, his thirst for world culture and travel. But all the while, he deeply remained true to his land, culture and people.
He remained truly a people’s voice through his works in cinema, literature and music. He is recipient of many awards but all recognition fell short when it comes to acknowledge his contribution as a true intellectual to Indian society in last 5 decades. So, it comes as no surprise that innumerable fans and followers flocked in the Judges Field in Guwahati on 7th and 8th of November to pay their homage to their last living hero. But even then what I experienced in Guwahati those two days is completely unprecedented and overwhelming. His body was supposed to reach his home at 2 o’clock from airport but all through the road so many followers wanted to pay their homage that the cart could not move and they only could reach at 11.30 at night completely shuffling state governments further plans. In fact, the cremation ceremony had to be postponed by another 24 hours to let everybody be able to pay their homage to Bhupen Hazarika.
I saw long queue at the Judges Field on the night of 6th when his body didn’t even arrive. Visitors flowed in throughout the night, next day and next whole night. The state government had to notify 12 hours prior to the public before closing of public viewing. Such is the respect and love he commanded from his own people. I could not really fathom why a 19 year old boy or girl or a mother with 2 month old baby in lap or a 85 year-old feeble lady would not mind to stand in a queue as long as 6 and 6 and ½ hours to pay homage to a man who died at the age of 86 after long ailment. I am truly taken over by the passion of people and the love for their Hero. It is right that we Indian’s are fond of hero worship and is always willing to look up to a hero who we can follow and respect. What I witnessed is epitome of hero worship witnessed in recent past in the country. Mostly in white wear, with flowers, garlands, white pigeon and Assamese Gamcha in their hands and tears in their eyes, the crowd moved very systematically and slowly towards the large tent build in the middle of the field even at wary hours. Their faces were sad and thoughtful but never showed any tiredness. They came here with very high spirit with a vigour to not to let their hero down and continue to follow his path and take his movement forward. For three days we only got to hear his voice, his songs when walking in the street, while turning on the television and radio.
The state government called for a 3-day state mourning where all offices, schools, colleges remained closed, exams were postponed. I found not a single shop was opened including pharmacies on my way to airport on 8th. Not a single soul remain their, who did not remember this man on those mourning days. While sitting in the airport to catch a evening flight back to Kolkata, we found that the local channel are condemning the few offices who chose to work on those days saying that they deprived their employees from their right to pay homage to the state’s all time hero. It has been decided that his ashes will be taken to all district and dissolved in various rivers.
His songs which I memorise from childhood ‘Bistirno du pare, ashonkkho manusher’, ‘Dola, he dola he dola’, ‘Shagor sangame’, ‘Ganga amar ma’, ‘Manush manusher jonne’ are still echoing in my head. I believe, his works have been able to transcend time. These would always be remain relevant and will be the medium of transmitting values, culture, and patriotism to coming generations.
