Assam: Bhupen Hazarika's year-long birth centenary celebrations to begin on Monday

Guwahati, Sep 7 (PTI) The year-long birth centenary celebrations of legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika will commence on Monday, with the Assam government and various other organisations set to pay tributes to the maestro.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the celebrations on September 13, on the first day of his two-day visit to Assam.

Hazarika's only son Tez Hazarika, along with the latter's wife and son, have arrived here from the USA to attend the centenary celebrations.

A 65-minute-long documentary, 'Bhupen da Uncut', directed by Bobbeeta Sharma, was released here on Sunday.

The documentary is a candid first-person account of Hazarika while he was on a visit to England in 1999 to participate in a cultural programme organised by the Assam Medical College Doctors Alumni Group.

"In the documentary, Bhupen da, as he is fondly referred to by all, spoke at length about his childhood -- the influence and interaction with cultural stalwarts like Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the pioneer of Assamese cinema," Sharma said.

He also talks about his pursuit of higher studies in New York, how he met his wife, Priyamvada Patel, the dynamics of their relationship, as well as his philosophy of life and ideology.

His son Tez Hazarika, brother Samar Hazarika and other family members were also present on the occasion.

On Monday, the inaugural ceremony of the centenary celebrations will be held at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Tirtha, the place where he was cremated in November 2011.

Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora and other ministers and senior officials will be present on the occasion, a government official said.

The Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust, founded by him during his lifetime, will also organise events at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra throughout Monday. The programmes scheduled include musical events and lighting lamps in front of the museum dedicated to the maestro on the premises.

The Nagaon district administration has organised a musical programme titled 'Shatabarshar Sandhya' at Hazarika's former home, which was recently purchased by the state government, at Kuthori near Kaziranga National Park.

The musical doyen had composed several of his evergreen Assamese songs in this house, Nagaon District Commissioner Devashis Sarma said.

Sarma said the house will soon be turned into a cultural complex and a museum displaying several possessions of the legend will be established.

The Nagaon district administration will organise a musical programme on September 10 to create a record where 15,000 students of universities, colleges and schools of the district will sing his evergreen song 'Manuhe Manuher babe' (If humans do not care for humans) at the Nurul Amin Stadium.

Officials of 'India Book of Records' (IBR) will be present on that day to record the event, the DC said.

Hazarika, popularly called 'Sudhakanta', was born at Sadiya in Tinsukia district on September 8, 1926.

The Kamrup Metro District Transport will also organise a programme on Sunday in collaboration with the Guwahati Auto Rickshaw Coordination Committee on the theme of Hazarika's popular song 'Ami dui bhai Autorickshaw cholau' (We two brothers drive an auto), highlighting the theme of dignity of labour. PTI DG DG ACD