Guwahati, April 23: President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious Padmi Shri award to two persons from Assam on Monday.
The award was bestowed on Sarbeswar Basumatary, a distinguished farmer who received the award for his contribution to implementing various schemes of agriculture, and Drona Bhuyan, a great exponent of Suknani Ojapali and Deodhani dance.
Born on April 8, 1962, Sarbeswar Basumatary is currently serving as a member of the Advisory Board of the Fishery Department of Chirang district, Assam. He is also a member of Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Sericulture of Chirang District. Since 2017, he has been working as a promoter for Bordosila Farmer Producer Company Limited.
Meanwhile, Drona Bhuyan is a great exponent of folk culture, ‘Suknani Ojapali and Deodhani dance’. Born on January 1, 1956, in the village of Satgharia in Sipajhar in the district of Darrang, in a poor family, Bhuyan spent his life in struggle. Due to lack of money, he only received primary education. He was more interested in the Suknani Sangeet and Deodhani Dance. When he was only 7-8 years old, he started moving with his father to prepare the “Jatra Party,” and he was honoured in society for his good acting. He acted in different dramas like ‘Village Girl’, ‘Chandra Hangsa’, ‘Lalasar Balley', etc. His father sent him to accompany Mr. Ratneswar Bora, – Oja of Suknani Ojapali, to learn from where he was attached to Ojapali culture. He started practicing Ojapali under the leadership of the late Chandra Kanta Nath Oja, who was also a prominent leader.
Bhuyan has received many awards. Some of the awards are “GURU TILE” from the Ministry of Culture in 2009, “MEERA AWARD 2012” organised by Rastriya Natya and Loka Kala Mahotsav in Agra, “Ek Kalin Bota 2019” and “Bishnu Rabha Bota 2021” by Cultural Affairs, Assam, Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati, and Assam Gaurav 2023.
