Bihu from the prism of Assam Agitation

Bishaldeep Kakati 

(deep.kakati99@gmail.com)

It is believed that as the season of spring sets in, nature beautifies herself with her new sets of ornaments in the form of vivid and possessing flowers and new and colourful leaves, further enhancing her aura by embracing the magnificent natural aroma. In doing so, it ultimately gifts the mortal world the season to experience the freshness that can break the monopoly of their humdrum lives. In fact, the spring season is welcomed by the denizens of India by celebrating different festivals based on various beliefs and rituals, and it directly portrays the picture of the masses enjoying and embracing the enchanting beauty of mother nature. In this context, with the onset of the spring season, people belonging to the northeastern state of India, known as Assam, celebrate the festival of Rongali Bihu. Moreover, the spring season also marks the beginning of the Assamese new year, i.e., Bohag Month. As such, Rangali Bihu is also known as Bohag Bihu. In fact, there are a lot of distinctive customs and rituals that make the Bohag Bihu unique. Out of these, the Bihu songs and the dance form associated with this Bihu provide a different dimension to it. Furthermore, Bohag Bihu also comes with the concept of ‘Saat Bihu’, which means that the first seven days of the Bihu are celebrated in a different manner, with many tribes and sub-tribes having different practices and rituals related to it. Over the years, although a lot has been deliberated and discussed about the traditions, rituals, practices, etc. related to Bihu, somewhere down the line, the study of the vivid aspects related to it has not exhausted either. Therefore, in this context, it is also important to analyse another important facet related to Bihu, i.e., Bihu, from the standpoint of the historic Assam Agitation.

One of the significant events in the history of Assam was the Assam Movement, which lasted from 1979 to 1985. The six-year-long agitation was a form of outrage displayed by the people of Assam against the illegal immigrants who posed a threat to the culture and identity of the indigenous people. Various slogans and statements were used during that period that further ignited the sense of regionalism amongst the agitators. The state always possessed a rich repository of cultural heritage and resources, and as such, culture played an important role during that period. Bihu, as we all know, is the lifeline of the Assamese community. As such, the Bihu songs and dances were also used by the people to further unify themselves in the process of shielding their existence and identity. Historical accounts narrate that forms of performance like Bihu, Ojapali, and Gayana-Bayana were used to integrate the people, which further helped in strengthening the agitation. During this period, Bihu dhols were distributed amongst the people by different activists and leaders, mainly in the Upper Assam area, and the performers performed in public gatherings and protests. In fact, the cultural symphony of the ‘Bihu Dhol’ weaved sentiments related to Assam, its unique culture, and its heritage, which motivated the people at large to fight for their land and their own rights. It is noteworthy to mention herein that the leaders who led the massive agitation understood the fact that ‘Art forms’ are often related to social identity, and as such, when conflicts relating to identity occur, these art forms or expressions play a pivotal role in shaping such movements. The idea of using Bihu as a tool to further synchronise the movement was a masterstroke, as it made the protest even stronger.

Conspicuously, it was not only the Bihu dance forms that made people join the protest in huge numbers, but it was also the Bihu lyrics that gave power to the masses to fight for their motherland till their last breath. Bihu lyrics that were thought-provoking and, at the same time, filled with the spirit of boldness and heroism further paved the path of the agitation. Lyrics like ‘Aiye Diya mor Bihu gamochare, goli khuwa tej mochi’ were used to connect the Assamese burgess with the notion of Assamese culture and identity, which further helped the leaders mobilise the people for the agitation. The leaders very strategically used Bihu to intensify the protest both in urban and rural areas, as they understood that the most common platform to unite all the tribes of Assam was none other than Bihu. As such, the prominent pressure group during that time, i.e., AASU, very tactically started investing in the concept of Stage Bihu as well. Although the concept of sarge Bihu was popularised in 1952 in the Latashil area of Guwahati, the real political transformation and popularity of it started happening in 1980. Furthermore, lyrics such as ‘Kaziranga Kohora/Numoligarh Bihora, Amar gutei Asom khon/Telere oi awora, Dangor dangor sunga loi/Bidesholoi gusi jai, and Aamar Asomkhonok oi/Khali kori thoiye jai’, made the people aware of how the Assamese people were deceived by the illegal immigrants and the resources that were meant for the Assamese people were stolen by the illegal immigrants. Although the lyricists’ of many such songs are still not known, the lyrics as such became very popular and motivated the people to not lay back and watch the destruction of their motherland in front of their own eyes, but rather fight for their rights till their last breath. In fact, the same lyrics mentioned above were often performed by Husori groups from one household to another, and their popularity has remained intact to date. Apart from that, lyrics such as ‘Sariophaale jolise jui, tumak bosabole, Bideshi ahi sutal palehi, Khediboloi ulai ah oi, Khedibole ulai ah’ too played their role very well to arouse the sentiments of regionalism amongst the people. In short, Bihu lyrics, songs, and dances united the people of different tribes and communities to agitate as one unit in the historic Assam Agitation. Hence, the interlinking connection between Bihu and Assam Agitation beautifully highlights the statement forwarded by noted social scientist Arnold Hauser, who said that any artistic expression often incorporates societal changes within the structure.

Therefore, one can definitely conclude that culture goes beyond the arena of only songs and dances, and the same is also true in relation to the role played by Bihu in shaping the Assam Agitation.