Bhupen Hazarika's place in the literature and culture of Assam

Sanjib Kumar Sarma

(sanjibsarmabajali@gmail.com)

Bhupen Hazarika, as an artiste of extraordinary creative talent, did not remain lagging. He too contributed to the mainstream of Assamese literature and culture. His emergence in the cultural field of Assam created a new chapter of greater hopes and expectations. His meaningful compositions and their performance in melodious tunes were never heard earlier. "People used to say, he has done what others could not do – he has written about the movements of trains and about listening to echoes from newly emerged China... the age of Bhupen Hazarika has come in. Respected personalities like late Radha Gobinda Baruah also remarked like that." Not only Radha Govinda Baruah but also many other respected personalities of then Assam cloud feel the pulse of novelty likely to bring in by Bhupen Hazarika's songs and tunes. Naturally, a new age of art and music was in the offing and Bhupen Hazarika heralded it. In that sense, Bhupen Hazarika is a revolutionary and a trendsetter, which in turn proves his matchless quality and greatness. His writings amply prove that he is an eminent litterateur, although his fame primarily depends on songs and tunes. For more than one reason he has acquired a prominent place in the history of Assamese literature, culture and performing art.

Bhupen Hazarika as a lyricist could compose lyrics on such unconventional subject matter as 'dignity of labour'. His song 'Auto-ricksha chalao ami duo bhai' tells about the problems of unemployment of educated youths in the state. Hazarika tries to inspire the educated unemployed youths to seek avenues for self-employment without regard to their academic achievements. Besides, it must be said that his expertise as a lyricist and composer had led him to blend the sound of running auto-rickshaw in his tunes. Similarly, two other songs of his blending the sounds of railway train are 'Jhak jhak rel chale mor rel chale' and 'Prathom nahay dwitiya nahay tritiya srenir jatri ami'. Bhupen Hazarika's expertise as a lyricist and composer led him to blend the sound of a moving transport in his songs. Very few other composers can do so. The themes of these songs are socialistic in fervour and sentiment. Apart from the above, songs like 'Dola he dola he dola', 'Endhar kaitr nishate, Bhang xil bhang, Seetore semeka rati' and others betray his progressive outlook. He also composed songs for a secular society. For example 'Mahatmai hansi bole Ram o rahim'; 'Saheb jai agote', a jikir in which he sings 'Hindue bilale mahe parasade/ Musalmane bilale ruti'. These songs reveal the age-old fraternity between Hindus and Muslims in Assam, which in turn helped develop a secular and peaceful society. Bhupen Hazarika also composed songs on the themes of discrimination based on caste and creed which he did not support. The song 'Yuwati Anamika Goswami bears testimony to this. Another song 'Dug dug dug dug dambaru/ Meghe bajai dambaru' was sung with a reformative motive. Bhupen Hazarika's disassociation with the Indian Peoples' Theatre Association was caused by the organization's disintegration consequent to split in the Communist party of India. During the organization's heyday, he composed and sang a series of epoch-making revolutionary songs. Critics blamed him for his disassociation with the I.P.T.A and treated it as his shifting from his adherence to leftist ideology. This is not true. During his association with the I.P.T.A, imbued with the idea of Paul Robeson, Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla and Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Hazarika composed and sang some progressive songs on socialistic themes. His critics forgot to consider that he as a professional artist had to earn his livelihood through singing. If there was any shift in his ideology that was only because of the changed situation and primarily to eke out his living through music satisfying the audience whom he regarded as the chief ornament of the gathering.

The Brahmaputra, Bohag and Bhupen Hazarika the three 'Bs' have practically become amalgamated in Bhupen Hazarika's artistic creation. He has treated the Brahmaputra not merely as a river, a geographical entity. He has treated it as a witness to many upheavals that had taken place in its banks. The sprawling banks of the Brahmaputra provided shelter to many migrants from different places of India and outside at different phases of history. Bhupen Hazarika sang that many people are driven by storms razing the banks of Meghna and Padma also took shelter on the banks of the mighty river. Again, by calling the Brahmaputra 'Mahamilanar Tirtha' (a pilgrimage of grand assimilation) he has elevated it to the height of pilgrimage, a pious place where pilgrims gather. In another sense, he has elevated the Brahmaputra to the status of a deity. No other singer-composer, before or after him has ever elevated the Brahmaputra to such height. Besides, Bhupen Hazarika composed other songs too on the theme of the Brahmaputra, such as 'Aji Brahmaputra hol bahniman, Luitote mor ghar, Luitor par duti, Luitor baliya ban'. In the same manner the season Bohag, has been personified uniquely. He has called it not merely a month recorded in the Assamese almanack but it has been called 'Asomiya jatir e ayush rekha' (lifeline of Assamese nationality). His love for the Brahmaputra led him to sing — Luitote mor ghar/ luite mor par/ luitei je bhange garhe/ sapon moramor. There are several other songs composed and sung on the same theme, Bohag such as 'Ei bohag jalanta tarun, Naba naba bohag ahe, Bohagor pratham puwa, Mitha mitha bohagar, Bihuti basori ahiba'. Bhupen Hazarika's poetic expertise led him to present Brahmaputra and Bohag in such a meaningful way. In this sense, he may be called unique and matchless.

Through his songs, Bhupen Hazarika has been able to establish himself as a great humanist. All through his life, he remained an advocate of humanism for redressing the misery of the poor and the deprived masses. His idealism was to usher in equality, fraternity and liberty. He could not bear to see man exploiting his fellow men. Accordingly, he composed and sang songs depicting the sorrows and deprivation of the exploited masses.

In fine, it must be said that Bhupen Hazarika has been a forceful and successful propagator of Assamese literature and culture and under his genius; he has been able to niche a rightful position. Even the worst critic of him must concede that he dominated his age as the greatest artiste of the state. In this context, it must also be acknowledged that there are a few other artistes and writers of such high academic qualifications and international intercourse as Bhupen Hazarika, especially in the fields of art, music and film industry. His elevated position is not lesser than that of any of his predecessors in the field such as Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha. He stands next only to the two great preceptor saints, Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhavdeva. Bhupen Hazarika himself amply acknowledged his indebtedness to those great masters from whom he learnt the rudiments of art and music. Thus, Hazarika stands like a Colossus who is still stared at with a sense of awe by his innumerable followers and fans. He has been able to leave an indelible impression in the heart of the millions who irrespective of their expertise still hum his songs and tunes. If the success of an artiste or a writer is measured by how many followed him, Bhupen Hazarika remains a successful master and guide to hundreds and thousands of his followers.