Bard of Brahmaputra returns to Bolung in bronze

Itagar, Nov 11: Legendary singer, composer and lyricist Dr Bhupen Hazarika always had an emotiol connect with Aruchal Pradesh. And now the State is trying to pay it back in equal measure.

In a move that will surely bring smiles to multitudes of fans of Bhupenda across the inter-State divide, the Aruchal Pradesh government is all set unveil a statue of the balladeer at Bolung village in Dibang Valley district of the State where he spent most of his childhood. The 10-feet bronze casting statue sculpted by Guwahati-based artiste Biren Singha has already been erected at the village this year. It would now be unveiled in early 2018.

"The State government in 2015 allocated an amount of Rs 30 lakh for the statue as a tribute to the legendary singer who contributed a lot to the Aruchal Pradesh in the cultural are. Bhupenda is more Aruchalee than an Assamese," Director of Research Batem Pertin informed.

Pertin added that the government in 2016-17 had allocated 70 lakh for two more statues of Hazarika to be erected at Yazali in Lower Subansiri district and in Itagar.

Pertin, who is also the general secretary of the Aruchal Pradesh Literary Society (APLS), informed this correspondent that, due to constant persuasion by the society, the government approved the project that is being undertaken by the society in coordition with the Research Department

Eminent writer and Sahitya Academy award winner Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi is the president of the APLS. He bagged the Bhupen Hazarika tiol Award this year.

As per plan, the balladeer's statue was carried to Bolung on 26th May this year via the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, the longest bridge in the country iugurated by Prime Minister rendra Modi that day.

"The land for erecting the statue was doted by sons of former MLA of Aruchal Pradesh Provisiol Legislative Assembly Gora Pertin as a tribute to the legend who spent most of his childhood in the village as his father was a teacher at Sadiya," Pertin said.

"Bhupenda through his songs tried to bind the entire North-eastern States through a single string. He not only composed songs for Assam, but for all the NE States," Pertin added.

Interesting anecdotes of Hazarika's childhood also abound. For instance, as an infant he was once lost by his parents and he spent a couple of days with a tribal family at Bolung village. He was returned by a young Adi girl. 

"Once Bhupenda jokingly said that he was a true-blue Aruchalee as he was breastfed by an Aruchalee mother when he was lost in childhood," said Trade & Commerce Director Tokong Pertin, who had met the music composer.

Hazarika also produced the first Aruchalee film in Hindi Mera Maa Mera Dharam in 1976 and shot his Assamese film Rashmi Rekha in 1971-72 in Aruchal Pradesh.