Dispur develops cold feet over 'O Mor Apor Dex'

Bezbaruah's immortal song still not State  anthem as government departments pass the buck

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Oct 4: What is the State anthem of Assam? Surely 'O Mor Apor Dex'? Not so fast!

The iconic song of Sahityarathi Lakshmith Bezbaruah may inspire every Assam-lover, but it is yet to get official recognition as the State's anthem. Two years back, there was an outcry in the media after an RTI query revealed that the song has not yet been officially recognized as the State's 'jatiyo sangeet'.

The State government was quick to react. Playing to the gallery, it announced that it had decided to adopt the song as 'Asom rajyik jatiyo sangeet.' Chief minister Tarun Gogoi then instructed the then chief secretary to place the matter in the cabinet meeting for approval.

The Political department duly placed the matter in a cabinet meeting, but it was referred to the Cultural Affairs department for "further discussion". In the meantime, the Axom Xahitya Xabha arranged the notation of the song and submitted it to the government. Since then, the Cultural Affairs department has been sitting over the matter.

Penned by lakshmith Bezbaruah and set to tune by Kamala Prasad Agarwala, the song - by the far the most popular Assamese patriotic song - was first published in 1909 in an Assamese jourl med Banhi. It was adopted as state song of Assam in 1927 at the Axom Xatra Sanmilan in Tezpur. The song is also included in Kadamkali authored by Bezbaruah. The song has already been translated into many other languages and dialects of the country.

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