Arunachal Pradesh to celebrate Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary at Roing on Sept 26

Itanagar, Aug 29:  Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Thursday announced that the state will host a state-level programme at Roing in Lower Dibang Valley district on September 26 to mark the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika. The event will be part of the nationwide celebrations honouring the legendary musician’s legacy.

Mein, who attended a core committee meeting on the centenary celebrations in Guwahati chaired by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the commemorative event to be held in Assam on September 13.

"The Hon'ble Chief Minister reviewed the programme in detail and emphasised the need for collective efforts to make the event truly memorable," Mein said in a post on X.

"In this spirit, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh has also taken steps to honour the legacy of Dr Bhupen Hazarika. We will be commemorating his birth centenary at Roing on 26th September 2025," the deputy chief minister shared in his social media post.

Widely known as the 'Sudhakantha', Hazarika was born on September 8, 1926, in Sadiya, Assam, and died on November 5, 2011, in Mumbai.

A singer, poet, composer, filmmaker and political thinker, Hazarika's works carried strong messages of humanity, communal harmony and social justice, earning him national and international acclaim.

He was conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, posthumously in 2019.

Hazarika shared a deep connection with Arunachal Pradesh, where he spent part of his early career and composed soulful songs inspired by the Idu Mishmi community and the natural beauty of the Dibang Valley.

His compositions in Arunachali dialects helped bring the culture of the state to national prominence.

The state government said Roing, in Lower Dibang Valley, was chosen as the centenary venue in recognition of this enduring bond.

As part of the centenary celebrations, the Union finance ministry issued a notification announcing the release of a special Rs 100 commemorative coin in Hazarika's honour.

The coin, made of 99.9 per cent pure silver, will be circular with a diameter of 44 millimetres and 200 serrations.

The obverse side of the coin will feature the Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar with the legend 'Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below, flanked by the word 'Bharat' in Devanagari script on the left and 'India' in English on the right, along with the rupee symbol and the denomination 100.

PTI