GUWAHATI, April 17 - The Chakma people living in and around Guwahati city celebrated the Bizu festival, which they regard as their most important festival, with pomp and gaiety at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here on April 13, said a press release here today.
The Bizu festival coincides with the Assamese Bihu festival and it is celebrated worldwide wherever the Chakmas reside. The Bizu festival is celebrated on three consecutive days in the run-up to the Chakma New Year.
The three important days include three Bizus � Phool Bizu, Mul Bizu and Gojya Pojya Bizu.
This second edition of the Guwahati Bizu Mela, was jointly organised by the Guwahati Chakma Students� Union and the Guwahati Chakma Society. City-based surgeon and researcher Dr Satyakam Phukan, who is also a filmmaker of repute, attended the function as the chief guest.
Pradip Katar, general secretary of the All Assam Hills Tribal Council and T Mog, DGM, Department of Telecom, also attended the function as guests.
Dr Phukan, in his speech stated that it is a historical fact that the Chakmas have their roots in ancient Kamarupa and Champaknagar. The fact that the Chakma language and culture are so similar in nature in many respects with those of the Assamese people is a striking one and it needs further study and research, he said. Dr Phukan also focused on some astounding facts concerning the origin of the Chakmas, their military expedition in the Arakans and their subsequent settlement in the present Chittagong Hills Tract and its peripheral areas.
Katar, with his gripping and good-humoured speech, kept the audience spellbound. He expressed his gratitude to the organising committee for inviting him to the function and observed that by organising such events, communal harmony among the hill tribes like the Chakmas and the Karbis could be promoted.
