Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday urged neighbouring Assam to immerse music legend Bhupen Hazarika’s ashes in five major rivers of the state as he immortalised the pristine beauty of the former in innumerable songs.
Sahitya Academy awardee and president of Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society; Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi, on behalf of the state’s people, urged Assam government to immerse Hazarika’s ashes in Siang, Subansiri, Kameng, Lohit and Dibang rivers on which the music icon composed various famous songs.
“Bhupen Da not only belongs to Assam but to the entire Northeast. He had contributed immensely to our state. We have requested Assam government also to immerse his ashes in the rivers of our state,” Thongchi said. Hazarika produced, directed, and composed music for the state’s first Hindi feature film in colour, ‘Meri Maa Mera Dharam’, in 1977. He also directed a colour documentary for Arunachal Pradesh government on tribal folk songs and dances entitled ‘For Whom The Sun Shines’ in 1974.
In 1977, Arunachal Pradesh government had awarded him a gold medal for his outstanding contribution to tribal welfare and uplift of tribal culture through cinema and music.
Influenced by the unspoilt beauty of Arunachal Pradesh (then NEFA) and its rich culture, Hazarika translated his feelings in most of his early songs, Hamara Arunachal, Budha Luit (Lohit), Tirap simanta rupar nai anta, Kata jawanar mritu haal (referring to 1962 Chinese aggression) to name only a few before expanding his canvass from the region to the rest of India. (UNI)