Bhupen Hazarika: The River That Still Sings

On September 8, Assam does not merely remember a man. It remembers a river, a voice, a conscience. Today, as India steps into the centenary year of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth, the nation pauses to honour the Bard of the Brahmaputra — a cultural colossus whose songs still flow through our collective veins.

Bhupen Da was never just a musician. He was the voice of the boatman, the breath of the farmer, the dreams of tea garden workers, the strength of women, and the resilience of the poor. His words carried stories that official history books ignored, his melodies carried burdens that speeches could never hold. When he sang, it was not merely art — it was the heartbeat of a people.

A Child of Assam, A Voice for the World

Born amid the oral traditions and folk rhythms of Assam, Bhupen Hazarika carried his homeland in his soul wherever he went. At just five, he sang at a public gathering and drew the attention of Lakshminath Bezbaruah, the father of modern Assamese literature. By his teens, he had recorded his first song. His genius was not just in music but in curiosity — a relentless hunger to learn, to question, to understand.

Cotton College shaped him. Banaras Hindu University refined him. The United States exposed him to the world. And yet, none of these places could sever him from Assam. In America, he met Paul Robeson, whose Ol’ Man River became the seed for his immortal Bistirno Parore — a song that turned the Brahmaputra into a symbol of humanity’s struggles and hopes. He was even awarded a Gold Medal for his folk performances by Eleanor Roosevelt, yet he came back home. For him, America was an opportunity; Assam was a responsibility.

Songs That Spoke Truth

On his return, Bhupen Hazarika immersed himself in music, theatre, radio, and cinema. But every medium he touched carried a singular purpose: to give voice to the voiceless. His songs were not written for concert halls or elite gatherings; they were written for villages, riverbanks, and the dusty streets where India lived.

He sang of justice for the poor, dignity for women, and unity among people divided by language and caste. He celebrated labour and sweat, reminded us of our rivers, and turned ordinary struggles into extraordinary poetry. It is no exaggeration to say that he stitched together the fabric of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” long before it became a political slogan.

The Man People Trusted

Though music was his first love, Bhupen Da never stayed away from public life. In 1967, the people of Naoboicha elected him as their MLA — not because he was a politician, but because he was one of them. He never sought power for its trappings, but his presence in the Assembly was proof of how deeply people trusted his integrity.

Recognition followed, though it was never what he sought. The Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and finally the Bharat Ratna in 2019. The last honour was greeted with tears of joy in Assam, for it felt as though the entire nation had finally acknowledged what the people of the Northeast had known for decades — that Bhupen Hazarika was not just an artist but a conscience-keeper.

A Farewell Like No Other

When he passed away in 2011, India witnessed something rare: lakhs of people walking behind his cortege, their eyes moist, their hearts heavy. In death, as in life, Bhupen Da united people. His cremation at the Jalukbari hillock overlooking the Brahmaputra was not just symbolic; it was destiny fulfilled. The river that had carried his metaphors now carried his memory.

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