CM joins state to pay tribute to Bhupen Hazarika on his 96th birthday

Guwahati, Sep 8 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined people from across the state to pay tributes to Bhupen Hazarika on his 96th birthday on Thursday.

The chief minister paid tribute to the ‘Bard of Assam’ at his memorial in the Jalukbari area of the city here, accompanied by the state’s Cultural Affairs minister Bimal Bora and officials of the Culture department.

”Sudhakantha Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s immortal tunes still rule the hearts and minds of millions and his ideals of humanism hold true today, despite the fast-changing moral dynamics”, the chief minister tweeted.

The chief minister also thanked Google for paying a tribute to the legend with a #GoogleDoodle.

”Good to see @Google joining Assam in celebrating the birth anniversary of the ‘Bard of Brahmaputra’ Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika by paying a tribute to the legend with a #GoogleDoodle”, Sarma tweeted.

The Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust also launched a two-day cultural event by hoisting 96 flags by prominent personalities of the state to mark the icon’s birthday.

Eminent cultural personalities of the state will pay their tribute to the bard through music and art during the two-day event.

Programmes were organised across the state to pay tribute to the maestro on his birthday.

Hazarika, also a Dada Saheb Phalke award winner, was born on this day in 1926 at Sadiya.

Considered an Assamese icon who popularised the state’s culture through his music and films in a career spanning over six decades, Hazarika was the recipient of several awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke Award. He was given the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019. Hazarika died on November 5, 2011.