Assam began the year-long birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika on Monday, with an inaugural ceremony that blended official honours, cultural tributes, and the presence of his family from the United States.
The celebrations opened at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Kshetra in Guwahati, where the maestro was cremated in November 2011.
Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma led the state in paying homage, offering floral tributes at his memorial.
As part of the ceremony, 100 eminent personalities hoisted a commemorative flag in his honour, followed by a musical programme that revisited his timeless melodies.
Hazarika’s only son, Tez Hazarika, accompanied by his wife and son, returned from the United States to join the centenary events.
The celebrations are also set to receive a national spotlight with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled participation on September 13 during his two-day Assam visit.
Chief Minister Sarma hailed Hazarika as “a global voice of humanity and an eternal source of inspiration,” adding that his art carried Assam’s spirit to the world.
He recalled the honours extended by the BJP-led government at the Centre, including the posthumous Bharat Ratna in 2019, the renaming of Dibrugarh Airport in his memory, and the release of a commemorative coin.
The Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust, founded by the maestro himself, organised events at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati, with lamp-lighting rituals and musical performances before his museum.
Across Assam, district administrations are preparing similar tributes. A highlight will be in Nagaon on September 10, when 15,000 students are expected to sing Hazarika’s iconic song “Manuhe Manuhor Babe” (If humans do not care for humans) at Nurul Amin Stadium, an event being recorded by officials from the India Book of Records.
Born on September 8, 1926, in Sadiya in Tinsukia district, Bhupen Hazarika rose to become one of India’s most influential cultural icons. Fondly called the “Sudhakantha” or Bard of the Brahmaputra, his songs—spanning Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, and several other languages—spoke of humanity, justice, compassion, and unity.
A poet, composer, filmmaker, and lyricist, Hazarika was also deeply engaged in social and political issues.
With the centenary celebrations now underway, Assam looks set to transform the year into a journey through the life and works of an artist whose voice became the conscience of a generation.