Dr Satyajit Das
(sdaslmv@gmail.com)
The celebration of Rongali Bihu in the Assamese month of Bohag is essential for every Assamese from the point of view of reflecting its nationalistic feelings as well as a cultural identity. Rongali Bihu or may be called 'Bohag Bihu' is the most prominent one among the three Bihus in the state of Assam. Since time immemorial, 'Bihu' or more specifically the Rongali Bihu has been celebrated with joy and merriment along with respect, love and enthusiasm during the time of spring season when the natural scenic beauty becomes fully wonderful and pristine including new orchids, the melodious sound of the birds like Coco and Keteki, the new tender leaves of trees have led the natural greenery into some new state of collage. The festive season has been celebrated as a pre-harvest festival and is welcomed by the entire Assamese nationality comprising various tribes and non-tribes irrespective of caste, creed and religion performed with their own styles and characteristics.
Nationalistic feeling arises spontaneously in the mind of every Assamese, wherever he or she may reside in this world. The emotional upsurge of the nationalistic feeling of the Assamese people expertized through this specific Rongali Bihu is characterized by various aspects related to the agrarian society as well as a simple rural lifestyle. The folk traditions, rituals, customs, beliefs or folklores are tremendously associated with the Rongali Bihu festival and thus practices of all these totally reflect the unique cultural identity and nationalistic entity of the greater Assamese nationality.
The agrarian economy is interconnected with this Rongali Bihu celebration because it has been a pre-harvesting festival celebrated with a collective production of paddy (rice) so that it would restore the economic sustainability of every household of the Assamese community. For over-production, it is essentially needed that the paddy field must be more fertile from the incessant rain. In this context, lots of folk beliefs and traditions are related. So, the Rongali Bihu is welcomed by beating the traditional Assamese Bihu dhol (drum) and it has been believed that the bombastic sound is generated by beating it to make the weather become cloudy and then the heaven provides excessive rain on the paddy field to make it more fertile. Not only the Bihu dhol but also the small cymbal, buffalo-horned pipes, Gagana, Sutali and Taka are the traditional folk musical instruments are played in every nook and corner of the state along with performing attractive Bihu dance by youths including both boys and girls with singing Bihu geet and Bihu Naam which have possessed some love and yearning flavour. Besides, the traditional food items are made from rice powder which has been prepared by every household of the Assamese community both in rural and urban areas during the celebration of Rongali Bihu festival days. So, the folk festival Bihu is the national festival of Assam whereas the celebration of Rongali Bihu has been carrying the elements of music, dance, joyfulness, merrymaking as well as various folk customs, beliefs and rituals which are basically focused on agrarian rural lifestyles of Assamese peasant societies.
On the basis of the discussion made above, it is very pertinent to state that this folk festival had originated from time immemorial and was transmitted traditionally from generation to generation among the communities and the races living in different regions of the world. Basically, folk festivals are celebrated in a rural environment among the rural folks as well as rural lifestyle and the agrarian economy is the main content of the folk festivals.
In the present day context, the nationalistic feelings of Assamese can be seen only in celebrating the festival but the authentic ethos and characteristics of the Rongali Bihu specifically with Magh and Kati Bihu have been gradually lost. So, it is of utmost necessity to restore, protect and preserve for the future generation of the Assamese people its authenticity as well as intrinsic values.
The majority of the upcoming generation has ignored to know the original fact and authenticity of the festival like Rongali Bihu. Because, in recent times, of the impact of modernization and urbanization, the original and traditional form of Rongali Bihu has been transformed into an urban setting as the Rongali Bihu is organized to celebrate in urban Bihu Mancha. The singers sing songs with modern musical instruments as well as Hussori is performed in a more systematic and competitive way. The commercialization is taking place comprehensively in the celebration of Bohag or Rongali Bihu.
Because of the various MNCs' financial sponsorship for organizing the Bihu Mancha, the organizers have to fix the priority areas according to the will of the MNCs. In the Bihu Mancha of the urban areas, the folk and traditional features of Bohag Bihu are not found in current days during the celebration of the same. Bihu dances and songs are performed following the filmy types with high sounding musical instruments just to attract the urban audience who are not concerned at all about their traditional values of folk culture and customs.
The folk songs and dances and other traditional features of Bihu are publicized through the electronic media, newspapers, CDs and VCDs for gaining mass popularity all over the year. In this way, the authenticity of the traditional value has been lost in this mode of celebration, performance and its uniqueness as well as the original rural context has been lost. It is due to the impact of urbanization and the advent of the process of globalization as well as economic liberalization along with the advancement of science and technology. Rongali Bihu has no doubt, undergone changes once they are brought to the urban stage called 'Bihu Mancha' or Television Channels, which seem natural. After all, Rongali Bihu is supposed to showcase the Assamese culture and traditions through its celebrations with their authenticity even in the urban setting taking the help of the TV Channels, other electronic media and 'Bihu Manchas'. The very purpose of celebrating the Rongali Bihu would be futile if there is an extinction of the authentic value of the same in the name of modernity.
So, the nationalistic feelings should be aroused on the basis of maintaining the authenticity of the celebration of Rongali Bihu. Commercialization and commoditization can't create nationalistic feelings among the Assamese nationality in the true sense. The nationalist feelings only can create a strong bond of unity, integrity, brotherhood as well as peaceful harmony irrespective of caste, creed, religion, language and community. It is heartily expected that the Rongali Bihu celebration in the state would be executed as a medium of initiating a feeling of nationality in the minds of the Assamese people with a sense of pride in being true Assamese so as to reflect their cultural identity and nationalistic entity amongst the rest of India and abroad.