GUWAHATI, Dec 5 � A month after the demise of cultural icon Dr Bhupen Hazarika, the need to create an online database of his entire corpus of work is being underlined.
His admirers from different parts of the State, as well as those residing outside the State are unanimous that the effort to gather his creations should start now, when some of his contemporaries and associates are still alive.
Chandrasekhar, a young techie based in Bengaluru, is of the view that the step from print to digital media is not a tough task if an online community is formed. A network of likeminded people can gather and coalesce the numerous lyrics, writings, sketches, and other documents in a single platform, which would be available online.
�It is important that the online database be created because acquiring books and journals for Bhupenda�s admirers outside Assam is not easy. For the growing Assamese diaspora, it would be an invaluable source to connect with the genius and the culture that he vivified so well,� he said.
He added that creating the online resource base is not so difficult, and the other advantage would be that it could be updated more frequently than books or other printed works.
Jyoti Sarma, a researcher and academic shared similar thoughts and underlined the need to gather not just Hazarika�s works, but important writings about him and his works. �There are incisive commentaries on Dr Hazarika written by various people�they should find place in a database for they offer varied perspectives,� she noted.
Among those who have supported the idea, Kanak Basumatary, a Central Government employee from Dhekiajuli said that an internet site dedicated to the legendary artiste was a must not just for the Assamese people, but for all those who celebrate humanism. �His songs are not just about Assam, but also contain messages of universal love and brotherhood. A website with proper translations of his work will certainly spread his message to a far bigger audience�, he remarked.
