Beats, Blues, and Beyond: Postmodernism in the Works of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika

The Second World War shattered the entire rhythm of life across the globe. In the eyes of those devastated by the war, there was only despair and rivers of blood. After all the noise and chaos, what lingered was the sound of sorrow and lament.

But time slowly changed things. With it, people around the world began to express their experiences of the war in different ways. Yet, the forms of these expressions were entirely new and unfamiliar.

After the war, art and literature underwent a complete transformation worldwide. Writing styles changed. So did painting, cinema, and its storytelling techniques. The wave of postmodernism engulfed the world.

It was around this time, in 1950, that a new literary movement emerged in America based on its nomadic, restless lifestyle. It was called the Beat Literature or Beat Generation. Led by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, this movement gave birth to a new cultural current, popularized through works like On the Road.

The essence of this movement was rooted in the wandering, rebellious way of life. By the 1960s, it had become so influential in America that its leading figures traveled to India—because where else, if not in this land of diverse cultures and communities, could one truly study a nomadic lifestyle?

Around the same period—in 1949—another traveler, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, reached America to pursue his Ph.D., at a time when the country was reeling under social and political upheavals.

This was the era when artists like Paul Robeson and civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. were shaking the foundations of injustice across the world. America itself was torn apart by racial conflicts between Black and white communities, with African Americans still bearing the scars of slavery.

When Dr. Bhupen Hazarika returned to Assam, he brought with him the realities of African American struggles, their songs of suffering, and the Beat Generation’s spirit of restlessness. These experiences found voice in his timeless creations like Moi Eti Zazabor (I Am a Nomad), Atitor Buronji Likhe (The Historian Writes of the Past), and Manuhe Manuhor Babe (Humans for Humanity).

Drawing from the African American tradition of the Blues—born out of the pain of slaves toiling in cotton and sugarcane plantations—Hazarika composed Bistirno Parore (On the Banks of the Vast River). With this, he introduced Assam to postmodern music sensibilities, writing one song after another that questioned racial discrimination and the crisis of existence.

Songs like Moi Asomor, Moi Bharat Or (I Belong to Assam, I Belong to India) and Jhak Jhak Rail Chale (The Train Moves On) are examples of this. Inspired by On the Road, he penned Auto Rickshaw Chalao Ami Duyu Bhai, blending a carefree view of life with the frustrations of economic hardship. His protest against racial injustice found its voice in Ami Ekekhon Naware Jatri (We Are on the Same Boat, Brother).

Throughout the 20th century, global music kept evolving—Blues, Country, Jazz, Soul, Rock—each dominating a decade. From The Beatles to Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix; Bhupen Hazarika witnessed it all.

Naturally, these influences seeped into his music. His artistic sensibility became deeply intertwined with the world’s struggles, and even unconsciously, his creativity found expression through them.

Of course, to speak only of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika would be incomplete without mentioning his brother, Jayanta Hazarika. With his guitar, Jayanta Hazarika infused Jazz and Country styles into Assamese music and rose to fame in no time. Both brothers wielded words and music like magic.

When the Bard of Assam passed away, the massive outpouring of people from every corner of the state to pay tribute showed the true measure of his popularity.

But here’s the question—has there ever been serious discussion on his contributions to postmodernism? Has there been enough research on an artist who was part of art and culture for over half a century? Does the government’s duty end with collecting his properties into museums?