“Sudhakantha Bharatratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika sang for humanity and each of his songs sent a message to the society for strengthening the bond of unity and harmony. We must follow his ideals and try to make contributions towards development of the state and the country,” chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said while speaking at the 93rd birth anniversary programme of Bhupen Hazarika organised by directorate of cultural affairs of Assam government at Samadhi Kshetra at Jalukbari in Guwahati on September 8.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for honouring the wish of state’s people by posthumously conferring Bharatratna to Bhupen Hazarika, the CM said that PM Modi had been implementing schemes for making India one of the most developed countries in the world. He also said there was no place for superstitions and dogma in the 21st century and he expressed sadness that some untoward incidents took place in this land of Bhupen Hazarika. Sonowal called on the youth to abstain from using drugs and he urged all sections of the society to build a strong movement against drug addiction.
Saying that Hazarika had envisaged a society where youths, artistes and litterateurs, labourers along with all classes of the society could live a life of dignity, Sonowal stated that the state government had been making all efforts to take the society forward following Hazarika’s ideals.
He also said that Hazarika spoke about the beauty of nature through his songs and we must preserve Assam’s natural beauty with dedication.
All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) also observed the day. AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya demanded that the state government must initiate steps towards the preservation of the works of the Bard of Brahmaputra.
“The government must start facilities for research on the works of Bhupen Hazarika in the universities. We also demand that the Guwahati Railway station should be named after Bhupen Hazarika,” said Bhattacharya.
Apart from that, various organizations observed the day in Assam and other parts of the country.
