Unique Farewell to Bhupenda
Posted on November 14th, 2011

Nava Thakuria

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was understood that the people of Assam love Dr Bhupen Hazarika very much, but the wave of condolence poured on the legendary singer was unique and never to be repeated. Not only Assam, the entire eastern India with Bangladesh had shown their greatest farewell to the versatile genius. More to it, the news channels and newspapers of Assam had dedicated their precious space for full five days to Bhupenda, as millions of his fans called the cultural icon.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The news broke from Mumbai, where Bhupenda, 86, was undergoing treatment for some weeks, at around 4.37 pm of November 5, 2011. It was so shocking and heart breaking that the people of Assam couldnot consolidate themselves to realize the content of the news initially as the local television flashed in graphics (letter) Dr Bhupen Hazarika is no more.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ An official statement of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai where he was undergoing treatment since June 29 with the complained of breathlessness, said Bhupenda died of multiple-organ failure. Thus it came to halt for a larger than life image personality.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The self-proclaimed Jajabor (wanderer or gypsy), who tried his hands in various field of creations as a poet, lyricist, singer, music composer, author, journalist and filmmaker, is the most exposed, discussed and reported personality in Assam for the last six decades.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With his immortal voce, the bard of Brahmaputra was equally popular in mainland India, and also in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. The Indian government had conferred him Padamshree (1977) and Padma Bhushan (2001). Moreover, the pioneering film maker was also honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992), the first and only one from northeast India to receive the prestigious award till today.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Born on September 08, 1926 at Sadiya in eastern Assam (father Nilakanta Hazarika and mother Shantipriya Hazarika), Bhupen Hazarika had preliminary education in various parts of the State. After completing matriculation at Tezpur in 1940, Bhupenda came to Guwahati for his IA course from Cotton College (1942). Then he went to Banaras Hindu University and completed BA and MA (1946) in Political Science.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Later Bhupenda left for USA to complete his PhD in Mass Communication from Columbia University, New York in 1952. Bhupenda returned to Assam and worked as a professor in Gauhati University for some time.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Bhupenda has penned thousands of lyrics and rendered his crisp voice for nearly 1500 songs. He had composed music for 36 Assamese films, many Bengali and Hindi films.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As a director, some of BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s outstanding Assamese films include Era Batar Sur (1956), Mahut Bandhure (1958), Shakuntala (1960), Pratidhwani (1964), Lotighoti (1967), Chick Mick Bijuli (1970), Mon Projapati (1978), Siraj (1988) etc.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The most prized Assamese won President of IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s award for Shakuntala, Pratidhwani and Lotighoti as a film maker. He was awarded with best music director award for Chameli Memsaab in 1976. It was in fact the first national award in music direction for the Assamese film industry.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Assam government has already conferred two highest honours ( Shrimanta Shankardev Award 1988 and Asam Ratna Award 2008) on Bhupenda. Asom Sahitya Sabha, the highest literary forum of Assam, offered the coveted post of President to Bhupenda in 1993. For a five year term Bhupenda was appointed as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1999. Bhupenda even emerged as an independent MLA in Assam Legislative Assembly (1967-72).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As the news spread about the demise of the legend, who is considered one of the most admired personality after Shrimanta Shankardev and Jyotiprasad Agarwalla in Assamese society, the households put earthen lamps in front of their houses. The well-wishers gathered at the residence of Bhupenda at Nizarapar in Guwahati. Similarly thousands thronged at the Dighalipukhuri park in the city, where the All Assam Students Union erected a life size statue of Bhupenda in 2009 to pay tribute to the mass communicator.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh condoled the demise of the legendary composer and singer terming Dr Bhupen Hazarika a creative genius ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”whose deep baritone voice was instantly recognised by poetry and music lovers across the nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the opposition leader Khaleda Zia had also expressed deep sorrow at the demise of Bhupen Hazarika, who was equally popular in the neighboring country. While the Awami League chief Hasina appreciated BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s songs (primarily Joi Joi Naba Jata Bangladesh) as an inspiration to the people of Bangladesh during the Liberation War (1971), the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Khaleda stated that BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”songs against racial conflict, crime, injustice and oppression will inspire people all the timeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Since the news broke, the people cutting across their age, ethnicity and political ideology started pouring their tributes to the most celebrated singer. BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s body was taken to Guwahati on November 7 amidst the tears of hundred thousands fans. Guwahati virtually wept while receiving their most adorned icon in a coffin.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For 36 hours BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s body was kept at Judges field in the heart of the city for public viewing and tributes. And people from the whole region came to pay their last tribute t their beloved Bhupenda round the clock. It was amazing, how even the older age citizens gathered at the Judges field at midnight hours to have a last glimpse of their icon, who was sleeping in a glass covered coffin. The eternal voice of Bhupenda was vibrating in the air through out the State as everyone played his songs at home and their localities. They also mourned his demise lighting lamps in front of his photographs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The newspapers had dedicated entire pages for Bhupenda with the life-size photographs on the front pages. The FM radio and news channels continued life coverage of BhupendaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s last journey amidst public grief for five days. The previous and whole day of cremation on November 9 was covered live for 24 hours by all six Guwahati based satellite news channels.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While his son Tej Bhupen Hazarika, who arrived in Guwahati from his work place New York, performed his last rites, nearly 50 thousand people witnessed the moment gathered at the Gauhati University campus.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Millions of television viewers sobbed while paying their final farewell to the greatest son of the soil of recent time and took pledge to keep alive their uncrowned prince of music forever in their hearts.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Biday Bhupenda !

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