NEW DELHI, Nov 2 - Breaking the prolonged silent over the whereabouts of the Bharat Ratna (citation) to Dr Bhupen Hazarika, the music maestro�s son Tej Hazarika today said the award would remain with him for the time being but eventually it would be displayed in a public place in Assam.
�The Bharat Ratna is in my safe custody... It is not my job to tell the Government of India where the Bharat Ratna would be kept," he said.
Tej Hazarika, who is here to attend the two-day festival �Celebrating North East� being organised by the NEIFT to showcase the rich tradition of the region, also did not wish to comment further on the matter. �I am here to celebrate my father�s contributions,� he simply said.
Immediately after receiving the Bharat Ratna which was awarded on Dr Bhupen Hazarika posthumously, Tej Hazarika had left India �silently�, without making any comment as to the �whereabouts� of the award. This triggered a controversy in Assam, with many of the family members of Dr Hazarika and organisations criticizing Tej Hazarika�s action.
As part of the festival, a pavilion showcasing photographs of Dr Bhupen Hazarika was inaugurated by singer Usha Mangeshkar in the presence of national award winning filmmaker Rima Das and Tej Hazarika. Usha Mangeshkar recalled the contribution of Dr Hazarika and spoke about her long association with the legendary musician.
Rima Das was also given the �North East Excellence Award� by the organisers of the festival. Receiving the award Rima Das said there are lots of stories in the Northeast waiting to be told.
