EduNE Bureau
Guwahati: Rich tributes was paid to Assam’s greatest cultural icon, Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, on his birth centenary with the inauguration of the Sudhakantha Museum and the launch of the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centenary Oration Series at The Assam Royal Global University (RGU).
The events were conceived not only to preserve the bard’s timeless creations but also to ensure his vision resonates with future generations.
Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Bora formally inaugurated the museum, while RGU Chancellor Dr. A.K. Pansari unveiled the oration series in a ceremony attended by prominent intellectuals, writers, and admirers of the maestro.
Among those present were RGU Vice Chancellor Prof. A.K. Buragohain, Professor Emeritus Prof. Amarjyoti Choudhury, former Asam Sahitya Sabha president and Padma Shri awardee Surjya Hazarika, writer Anuradha Sarma Pujari, noted cultural activist Dr. Akashitora Saikia, and literary scholar Prof. Rakhee Kalita.
Reflecting on Hazarika’s enduring relevance, Prof. Amarjyoti Choudhury emphasized the need to rekindle mass admiration for the artist. “This year marks the birth centenary of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, and we see it as an opportunity to regenerate public enthusiasm and admiration for him in a way that can endure for another hundred years—until the next centenary,” he remarked.
Prof. Choudhury also called for a scientific and interdisciplinary study of Hazarika’s music and writings, noting that his genius lay in being both deeply rooted in Assamese culture and universally appealing.
“Our goal is to study his creative process and apply its principles across disciplines at the University, so that students learn how creativity can connect them to society and bring recognition and rewards in return,” he added.
The inaugural session of the Centenary Oration Series featured profound reflections on the bard’s works. Prof. Choudhury’s opening oration—“The Song that Fetched New Seeds: Sudhakantha at His Creative Height”—explored the transformative power of Hazarika’s art. Eminent historian Prof. Shiela Bora highlighted the cultural symbolism of the Brahmaputra in her lecture “Mohabahu Brahmaputra: The Sentinel of History and the Multifaceted Cultural Traditions of Assam.” Bimal Kumar Dev Medhi revisited Hazarika’s musical gems “Xaagor Xongomot” and “Mahabahu Brahmaputra.”
In the days ahead, the oration series will continue with lectures by distinguished academics: P.J. Baruah on “Dr. Bhupen Hazarika: Philosopher and Guide to Assamese Identity,” Prof. Pradip Jyoti Mahanta on “Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s Art Persona and Sankaradeva,” and Prof. Surajit Mukhopadhyay on “Songs of Resistance and Hope: The Idea of Universality in Bhupen Hazarika.”
