GUWAHATI, Nov 5 � The death of legendary musician Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been mourned all over the State. Reports from our correspondents have been pouring in since the news came in late this afternoon.
Tezpur: The news of the demise of music maestro Dr Bhupen Hazarika has grieved all sections of people here. Dr Hazarika was the last representative who worked with the three great cultural icons of Assam � Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha and Natasuryya Phani Sarma. At the age of 12, when he was a student of the Tezpur Govt Higher Secondary School, Dr Hazarika had performed Jyoti Sangeet in front of the trio.
In 2001, Dr Hazarika was honoured with a Doctorate in Literature from the Tezpur University. Dr Madan Sarma, head of the English department, Tezpur
University, said that Dr Hazarika was thus honoured for his outstanding contribution to art and culture. The University was privileged to be able to record its deep regard for his multi-faceted genius. His contribution to the cause of Indian music, cinema and cultural life has already received due recognition.
Noted photographer Nalini Baruah, who was a close associate of Dr Bhupen Hazarika, expressed grief at the maestro�s death. Ban Theatre and Bengali Theatre have also expressed condolences at his death. Singer Pankaj Bordoloi said the he had sung many songs with Bhupenda who was his guru.
Nripen Hazarika, younger brother of Dr Hazarika, who resides at Polo Field here, said that his demise was not only an irreparable loss for the cultural world but also for the family. The foundation has collapsed, he added.
Dibrugarh: The news of the demise of cultural doyen Dr Bhupen Hazarika was received with shock in the city.
Immediately on hearing the news, the organisers of the ongoing 7th Dibrugarh Book Fair brought down the fair flag to half mast and an impromptu condolence meeting took place a little later. Those who spoke on the occasion included Jyoti Shankar Chaliha, a great fan of the late singer.
Elsewhere in the city, several artistes who were fortunate to sing or play a musical instrument with Dr Bhupen Hazarika broke down on hearing the news of his demise. Noted guitarist Ratan Choudhury, radio artistes Syed Saadullah, Hiren Gohain, Rajen Gohain and several others expressed their deep shock at the news of Dr Hazarika�s death. As the country mourns the demise of a great son, Dibrugarh, too, is in deep bereavement.
Udalguri: The All Assam Gorkha Students� Union (AAGSU) and Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha (ANSS), a leading Nepali literary organisation of the State, expressed their deep condolence at the sad demise of iconic national singer and litterateur Dr Bhupen Hazarika on Saturday at the Mumbai-based Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.
An AAGSU press release, issued by Jagadish Khanal, president of the students� organisation of the Gorkha community, recalled the intimate relationships of the iconic artiste with the Nepali-speaking community since his youth till date. His contributions to the greater Assamese society cannot be filled up and his universal brotherhood which he reflected through Paul Robson�s song, We are in the same boat brother would always be remembered by the people in the cultural arena, Khanal said in the press note.
In another press communiqu�, Madan Thapa, general secretary of the Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha (ANSS), also deeply condoled the death of Dr Hazarika and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul. He observed that not only Assam, but the whole nation has lost a valuable jewel like Dr Hazarika who gave the message of unity, peace and harmony through his epoch-making songs. �The Nepali-speaking community of the State will never forget this legendary artiste who showed his�sense of belonging to this community by wearing a black Nepali hat (topi) till his last breath. He will remain immortal among us with his valuable creations. We� pray to God for his eternal peace,� Thapa added.
Meanwhile, members of the Udalguri Subdivisional Students� Union and the Regional Students� Union prayed for the eternal peace of iconic Assamese singer Dr Bhupen Hazarika and lit earthen lamps at the Swahid Vedi in the heart of Udalguri town on Saturday evening and observed one minute�s silence in memory of the legendary singer. The AASU members also appealed� to the inhabitants of the town to light an earthen lamp in front of their residences as a mark of respect to the great singer of the millennium.
North Lakhimpur: The news of the death of Dr Bhupen Hazarika, the music maestro and cultural soul of modern Assam, has been received with shock here. Dr Hazarika had a unique bond with North Lakhimpur in his long and illustrious career as a musician, singer, filmmaker, cultural activist and politician who attained some outstanding feats in this small town.
Dr Hazarika performed at many cultural programmes here including the IPTA event in 1971 and made two films. Cultural artiste and writer Manjula Hazarika, who hails from North Lakhimpur, was an actor in Dr Hazarika�s superhit movie Chikmik Bijulee. He also composed music for the film, Palasore Rang by Jeeban Borah of North Lakhimpur where he sang the title song with Usha Mangeskar. Similarly, another cultural activist from North Lakhimpur, late Haadi Hussain Borah (Sweet) was his closest friend who acted in some of his films.
Similarly, the exponent of Mising culture, late Ganesh Pegu from Gogamukh of undivided Lakhimpur district, sang one �Oinitom� (Mising folk song) in Dr Hazarika�s another masterpiece, Erabator Soor. He used to regularly visit the family of late Firdaus Ali Hazarika (Mukut), another close friend of his from North Lakhimpur, though he had died long back in 1980.
Dr Hazarika was also in North Lakhimpur during the 1970s to make his Hindi movie, Mera Dharam Meri Maa shot in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. Dr Hazarika also contested the Assembly polls from the Nowboicha LAC from the Lakhimpur district and represented it as an elected MLA. He last visited North Lakhimpur in 2003 along with Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami to inaugurate the North Lakhimpur edition of the Asomiya Pratidin, a vernacular daily.
His death was widely mourned by the cultural fraternity and the common public in North Lakhimpur. Noted cultural worker, filmmaker and president of the State unit of IPTA, Jeeban Borah condoled the death of Dr Bhupen Hazarika as the end of an age of modern Assamese culture.
Similarly, noted playwright Ghana Hazarika, academician Hemen Gogoi, secretary of Asom Natya Samaroh Sayed Nazim Ahmed, senior scribe Harnul Rashid, prominent citizen Rohinee Goswami, actor Nanda Kishore Maheswari, amateur theatre groups Nabik, Nata Sainik, Manchayaan, etc., expressed their sorrow at the demise of the towering figure of the Assamese cultural world.
