GUWAHATI, April 13 - Since the State government has barred all public gatherings due to the nationwide lockdown, the Bihu committees in the city are now planning to spend their funds on social welfare activities.
Kailash Sarma of the Latasil Bihu organising committee said that they would like to serve society in this hour of crisis. He said that they would take a final decision in this regard soon.
The Bihu committees have already cancelled their scheduled programmes, including cultural events.
�In the 68-year-long history of Latasil Bihu, it is for the second time that we are not holding any competition or cultural programme during Rongali Bihu. Earlier, in 1983, when the Assam Agitation was at its peak, we refrained from organising any cultural event during Bihu as a mark of protest. In 1983, we only hoisted the flag and paid tributes to the martyrs. Unfortunately, this time history has repeated itself,� Sarma said.
According to him, like in previous years, this year, too, the Bihu was scheduled to be celebrated with a four-day programme from April 13 to 16. It was to be the 68th edition of Latasil Bihu. Bihu was held on the stage at Latasil for the first time in the history of Assam.
This time, the flag will be hoisted tomorrow in the presence of five committee members and the progarmme will be wrapped up within half an hour.
Madan Das, an office-bearer of the Pandu Bihu Sanmilani, Maligaon, informed that very soon they would meet to chalk out a plan on how to utilise the funds for social welfare.
�Before the lockdown, we had made most of the arrangements for the 59th edition of Pandu Bihu Sanmilani, which was scheduled be held from April 13 to 16. We had even made advance payments to some artistes and technicians,� Das said.
According to him, during the Operation Bajrang, too, the Bihu committee did not hold any cultural event as a mark of protest against government atrocities. This time, following the government�s direction, the Bihu committee will simply hoist the flag in the presence of its five members tomorrow.
Members of Chandmari Bihu Committee also said they have already donated Rs 50,000 from the funds collected for organising the Rongali Bihu programmes to the State government through the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro.
Tomorrow, the flag-hoisting function will take place in front of the Bihu committee�s office followed by distribution of food items among the poor.
�It is a big loss for us, as we had made almost all the arrangements. But, in such a situation we need to follow the government directions. During the time of Assam Agitation also, we did not organise any cultural event during Rongali Bihu as a mark of protest,� a member of the Bihu committee said.
Meanwhile, a member of the Japorigog Bihu Sanmilani said they might organise a daylong cultural event if the situation becomes normal within a month. The New Guwahati Bihu Sanmilani also thinking on the same lines, members of the Bihu Sanmilani told The Assam Tribune.
