Guwahati: Asom Sahitya Sabha, the premier literary organisation of the state, has decided to name its proposed cultural university as ‘Biswaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cultural University’.
Sabha General Secretary Parmananda Rajbongshi said that the literary body at its recent executive meeting had taken two major decisions, honouring the dead music maestro with the title of ‘Biswaratna’ and the second to name the proposed university after Hazarika who was the Sabha President in 1993.
The Sabha has also taken the initiative of immersing Hazarika’s ashes in all the major rivers of the state, region, country and the world which finds a mention in his creations.
As a part of this initiative, a three member team of the Sabha along with the Assamese community and state government officials in Kolkata immersed the balladeer’s ashes in the Gangasagar near Kapil Muni’s ashram on November 20.
A wreath was placed on the urn on behalf of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and tributes were paid among others by noted actors Victor Banerjee, George Baker, members of IPTA, All India Writers Association and several other organisations. Hazarika had spent more than three decades in Kolkata and his ashes were immersed by his long-time associate Mintu Mukhopa-dhyaya who translated most of his lyrics from Assamese to Bengali. Hazarika’s ashes have been already immersed in all the rivers of Assam and other states of north east, including Teesta in Sikkim, Thames in London and would be soon immersed in other major rivers of the country and the world. (PTI)