GUWAHATI, Nov 20 � A portion of the ashes of music legend Dr Bhupen Hazarika was immersed in the Teesta river at the confluence of the Teesta and the Rangeet, 18 km from Kalimpong town, on Children�s Day.
The urn containing the mortal remains of the singer was taken to the Gorkha Territorial Administration from Guwahati by the All Assam Gorkha Students� Union (AAGSU).
The AAGSU was supported by Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Assam State Committee and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Some 100-odd people gathered to pay their last respects to a man whose love for the Gorkhas was evident by the �vadgawley�, the Gorkha�topi with crossed khukuris pinned to it, that the balladeer always wore. Thousands paid their tribute to Dr Hazarika while the urn was being carried to Teesta, a statement from AAGSU mentioned.
�The essence of Bhupenda was his humanism. He did not belong only to Assam but to the entire world. His songs do not talk about his community alone but of others as well. We felt it was fitting to immerse his ashes in the Teesta as a way of paying our respects, since rivers figure so prominently in his songs,� said Keshab Sharma, the general secretary of AAGSU.
A part of the ashes was taken to Tiger Hills and Mount Kachenjunga to preserve it on the hilltop, the statement added.
