Remembering the Bard from Assam, the balladeer of the Brahmaputra, with lots of respect & love...

"A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with.A man is what he makes of himself."- Alexander Graham Bell

It's a very beautiful saying by the eminent scientist,inventor,engineer and innovator who gave us the first practical telephone. And it stands true for the personality who I am going to talk about today.




Well,Babetude is making a sad post yet again,with a heavy heart.


First off,I have to answer this or just probably repeat something again-why do I celebrate art so much,in so many posts in the Blog?

Without art and culture,how will a barbaric world be to live in? Sounds cliche but it's so very true.

Science and technology has moved the world forward, there's no doubt about that.But where would the beauty in the world be without art and it's able appreciators? Art has given a soul to a world which would only have emotionless living beings or things like that without it.


So each time as I lament the loss of a veteran artiste from the world of art,culture and even stalwarts from other productive and progressive field,it's like lamenting the death of art and other wonderful things which make life so very beautiful.

"It is not length of life, but depth of life," that's a great adage by Ralph Waldo Emerson .

That is very true as well. But some people deserve to be mourned deeply and remembered lovingly and with respect,regardless of what time they make their departure from the world. It's hard to say goodbye as the world needs/needed them so much.

Many led fulfilling lives, yet the loss is huge,a void that's hard to fill and the grief will be there.

And hence,Babetude has been mourning the losses of veterans in the world of art, music,culture, spiritual and other productive worlds for a while now.The great Steve Jobs had said-'Old has to go to make way for the new."

Babetude remembers that from making the tribute post for the tech guru who changed the world,when he went away too soon,just last month.

In the areas of science, medicine and technology in the world, I strongly feel, things are going good and even getting better. But the same can't be said about the field of art and culture,more so in India.

Well,I have to analyse what's happening in India's entertainment scene(even more than Hollywood and international cinema which I've been following passionately for so long) because that's where I came from and worked in for a while.One has to be immersed in a culture to judge it or make comments about it! That's how the wise do it.

So the truth is there are few in the generation today who can be called able successors. The regional film industries(more so from the states of Bengal,Assam and the South)which made wonderful movies in the past are being over shadowed by the Hindi film industry or more popularly(known by it's copied name)Bollywood.

And like many times I said before and many knowledgeable ones who have researched deeply would agree,the artistic quality in B'wood has gone down.Period.There are no two ways about that.There are good films, but their number is very low.That's why Babetude had made a post not very long back-"Where is current B'wood's soul & substance?' Talked about it this terrible thing many times too.

Well,getting back to the topic,Babetude is mourning someone from her homeland,her place of birth, her state in the north eastern corner of India,Assam(well,maybe the name of my state too is being revealed for the first or second time in the blog).

It is Dr. Bhupen Hazarika who left the world on 5th November,2011,making it one of the saddest days in the history of Assam.


There never was and probably for a while never be a day like that in Assam history for a while now, when so many people from different walks of life and even outside of Assam and India grieved so much together.

He's been aptly called the Bard of Assam, and the Assam Ratna(gem).That title also comes from the fact that the state's highest civilian award 'Asom Ratna' was conferred on him,not very long ago.

And yes "he owed very little to what he was born with"(a small place in a state towards the quite neglected north eastern side of India) and it's more about what "he made of himself".

There's a lot of info here for the uninitiated or those who came in late(yes,it's kind of too late now,still it's never too late to know a legend whose legacy lives on).I have to say this because where I live right now, the Caribbean,except for the very few NRIs, not many know him yet.

A report said-"Dr. Hazarika was regarded as one of the greatest living cultural communicators of South Asia. He had been a poet, journalist, singer, lyricist, musician, filmmaker and writer."


His Wikipedia profile says-

A pioneer who is solely responsible for placing the fledgling Assamese cinema on the all India and on the world cinema map. He had been the only person in the past 40 years to propagate the better cinema movement and had integrated all the seven north-eastern states, including tribal culture, through the medium of cinema.

And he was not just an artiste, he was multifaceted and he was an academician too who earned his doctorate from Columbia University, New York, way back in the 50s.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhupen_Hazarika



The Guardian UK obituary called him an Inspirational Indian singer,lyricist and political activist and wrote--"One of the most important cultural figures of north-east India, Bhupen Hazarika, who has died aged 85, used music, cinema and the written word to stitch political ideology and ancient traditions into the fabric of popular culture. His distinguished career as a film-maker, singer, lyricist and political activist spanned 70 years. He won many major awards in India and leaves an impressive body of work that includes more than 1,500 songs."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/06/bhupen-hazarika?fb=optOut

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?278921




Another news report said--"His music carried the smell of the dark earth and the hum of the deep rivers he sang so passionately about."

A noted publication wrote-"Most of singer Bhupen Hazarika’s songs dwelt on the themes of love, nature and the varied hues of human emotions.The soulful lyrics in Hazarika’s unique powerful voice speaking of people, nature and love, were lapped up by all generations and for long his songs played over gramophone discs and cassettes formed an integral part of political meetings.His song on Bangladesh war of independence “Joi Joi Nabajato Bangladesh” also moved people."


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-06/india/30366271_1_dil-hoom-hoom-kare-bhupen-hazarika-kalpana-lajmi







Here are videos with some of his immortal songs-










The Bengali version of the song played above,titled'Manush manusheri janya(man is for mankind) and which talks about the need for compassion among humans,was selected as the'best song of the millennium' by the BBC Bengali service.

One of the many tributes coming from India that touched Babetude---

There are many bards who have done works which are an artist's delight. But, the biggest of all is someone who is able to reach out to - the common folk in the fields, a dejected youth, a successful man through the same song without requirement of any advertisement. Long Live the King. !!!

From Twitter and other media sources. Please check some tributes by noted Indian personalities--

The President, the Prime minister, political leaders,academicians, artistes and various state heads expressed their grief at the loss.

India's President Pratibha Patil described him as "a creative genius whose deep baritone voice was instantly recognised by poetry and music lovers across the nation".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said,"India has lost one of its most gifted artists".

latamangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata)in Hindi

Bhupen hazarika ji,ek bhohot hi guni kalakar the,wo bohot acche sangeetkar aur gayak to the hi,par saath saath bahot acche kavi aur,film director bhi the,unki Assamese film mein mujhe gane ka mauka mila ye mere liye saubhagya ki Baat thi,aisa mahan kalakar ab humare beech nahi rahe, iska mujhe bohot dukh hai,,ishwar unki aatma ko shanti de..


The gist of this is that he was not only a talented singer,artiste and musician but also a great poet, a film maker.I was fortunate to sing for his Assamese film. I am sad such a great personality is not there with us today.May God rest his soul in peace.

AzmiShabana Azmi shabana
Sorry to learn about Bhupen Hazarika.His was a unique voice and he wrote lyrics using Assam's folk music as an instrument of social change..
5 Nov

SrBachchan Amitabh Bachchan
T 549 - Bhupen Hazarika passes away !A musician of many talents and what a voice .. prayers and condolences !!
5 Nov

TandonRaveena Raveena Tandon
Bhupen Hazarika passes away.. Indias Rich Culture and Heritage of Art and Music loses another Gem.Rest in Peace Bhupen Da..
5 Nov
»

sanjaysuri Sanjay Suri
Very very Sad to hear about Dr Bhupen Hazarika...spent some wonderful time with him during Daman.
5 Nov

Akshay Kumar: “After Jagjit Singh, India has lost another musical wonder, RIP Bhupen Hazarika. The man who gave us ‘Dil Hoom Hoom Kare’ from Rudaali, truly our hearts recite this song with grief today.”

Madhur Bhandarkar: “Sad to hear the demise of legendary music maestro Bhupen Hazarika, RIP.”


Shantanu Moitra: “Bhupen Hzarika passes away… It’s a big loss for all music lovers.”

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt had said about the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner(for contribution to Indian cinema) was a ‘not just a musician but a giant among giants with the heart of a child’ while actor Farooque Sheikh said a gem like "Hazarika can’t be replaced easily."


SushmaSwaraj,Indian politician and MP from the BJP(Bhartiya Janata Party)
Bhupen Hazarika is no more. That is a very painful sound of music.
5 Nov Favorite Retweet Reply

SushmaSwaraj
His doctoral thesis was "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to Use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education".
5 Nov Unfavorite Retweet Reply

SushmaSwarajBJP Sushma Swaraj
I knew Bhupen da well. I was greatly impressed by the fact that he obtained doctorate in journalism from Columbia University in 1952.
5 Nov


SushmaSwarajBJP Sushma Swaraj
In Guwahati for the final journey of Bhupenda
17 hours ago


SushmaSwarajBJP Sushma Swaraj
There was a sea of humanity to bid farewell to Bhupenda. I am deeply touched by the warmth of the people there.
11 hours ago


SushmaSwarajBJP Sushma Swaraj
Bhupenda was a great son of India. I request the Prime Minister to honour Bhupenda with Bharat Ratna

IamOnir I AM Onir
Very sad to hear about the demise of Bhupen Da .Had started my career in Hindi Film Industry workin in DAMAN with Kalpana Lajmi n Bhupen Da.


IamOnir (Film Director Onir)
worked with BhupenDa for the music of Daman n his music album GANGA Remember our love for good food N THE Lunches N Dinners We had TOGETHER
6 Nov

IamOnir I AM Onir
Remember Bhupen Da for his warmth and love and the incredible voice and melody .will remember him with love

Composer Lalit Pandit: He was a genius.He was the king of folk music and he did a lot of work in Hindi music.He will be remembered among this generation because he was a person of pure music.It is really sad that he has gone away.A person like him of that generation,that purity,that knowledge would be hard to find now."



Others who paid tributes were Indian music legend Manna De who said he always felt great rendering music under Hazarika’s direction. He had added,"I told him so many times that there was something in his songs which gave me a different kind of feeling while singing his songs under his direction.”

Tina Ambani, wife of Anil Ambani, filmmaker Mrinal Sen, singers Usha Uthup, Ila Arun, music director Pritam, classical singer Pandit Jasraj, actress Deepti Naval, singer Abhijeet and radio commentator Ameen Sayani also conveyed their condolences.




THERE WAS MORE Lata Mangeshkar had to say....A excerpt from the story---

"""Tue Nov 08 2011 IANS
Mourning the death of Bhupen Hazarika, Lata Mangeshkar says there won’t be another one like him and that she not only fell in love with his music but enjoyed his company as he was always full of life and joy.

“I sang for him way back in the 1950s in Assamese. I was scared of getting the pronunciation wrong. But he was confident. And I was game since I love singing in various languages. And the song was so lovely ‘Jo na kare rati’. I fell in love with Bhupenda’s music,” she said.

“Our association began from there, and continued through decades. He became close to my entire family specially my youngest sister Usha who sang innumerable Assamese songs for him,” she added.

“I had gone for the recording of some Bengali songs for Bhupenda in Kolkata. I stayed with him and his wife (Priyamvada Patel) in their home. They made me so comfortable. There’re very few people in my life I felt so relaxed with. Bhupenda was always full of life and joy, so much so that I hated the thought of him being ill,” she added.

“Two years ago he came home. I was dismayed by the change in his health. Seeing him so frail, I was depressed. From then onwards I didn’t have the heart to meet him. I was supposed to record a song with him, I chickened out.

“I am frightened of seeing loved ones in pain. When my mother fell ill, I had to be dragged by the rest of the family to see her. But I kept abreast of his health through my sister Usha who was on the SMS with Kalpana Lajmi. I got to know of his hospitalization. He was really in pain.

“When I heard of his illness, I rang him up in the hospital. Kalpana put the phone to his ear. I believe Bhupenda responded to my voice. They even played my songs for him in the hospital. I know he was very fond of me and my singing. And I of him. Three days ago, a journalist came to me saying Bhupenda was very critical. I recorded my get-well message for him. Then, it was over,”said Lata.

“My most popular song for Bhupenda in Hindi was ‘Dil hoom hoom kare’. The composition was very special. Bhupenda sang the song originally in Assamese. Today, I smile as I remember how entertaining he was in person. I enjoyed his company. And I enjoyed singing his songs. There will never be another Bhupen Hazarika.”



Around 2-3 years ago when Lata ji had met him she had reportedly told him-"Dada, the film industry is falling apart. People like you and I are becoming legacies of the past’.(Must say TRUTHFUL WORDS WHICH HURT A TOO).

Later Lajmi had talked about how Dr. Hazarika has always had a very soft corner for Lata Didi and how he’ll carry this meeting with him forever and how he's blessed to have shared a unique friendship with her.

Another musical veteran, Mahendra Kapoor had passed on that year and it was said,“Every year Lataji is reminded of the passing forth of the golden era. It’s not an easy thing for her to see all those colleagues and co-singers whom she worked with pass her by. This is why she had decided to meet Bhupen Hazarika(in 2008),”



That's also the reason why Babetude admires and loves Lata ji so much...She is a legendary singer and a wonderful human being too.No wonder she is such a huge name and hugely liked too



Here's a little piece of info which by the way, is already known to people who have known Dr. Hazarika's work. While doing his PHD at Columbia university in NY, Dr. Hazarika had met, befriended and became closely associated with the legendary Paul Robeson between 1949 and 1955 in the USA.

It's being said that during this period that he was also awarded a Gold Medallion in New York as the best interpreter of India's folk songs by Eleanor Roosevelt.

So some of his most famous compositions were adaptations of African American spirituals that he had learned from Paul Robeson.He had been very inspired by the classic 'ol' man river' sung by Robeson in the movie Showboat(1936).Later it was covered by Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ray Charles and other greats.






He later most famously made his own versions in Bengali, Assamese and Hindi on the River Ganga(Ganges) and the river Brahmaputra from Assam(also fondly called 'Luit' in Assamese). It talked about the indifference of the river which kept flowing without caring about the issues, difficulties of the people, among the people who live around and the world over.

His lyrics always had deeper meaning...







He's been called the 'Bard of the Brahmaputra' as he sang about the river in many of his compositions.

It's been said and Babetude must add here again that Dr. Hazarika or fondly Bhupen Da(elder brother in Assamese and Bengali),claimed and used his music,mostly inspired by Assamese folk for social reform. In the process he made Assam famous and a journo colleague of Babetude who's been covering with heart warming devotion the stories of his ailments in recent months rightly said, "Assam has lost her best son and it's difficult for another Assamese to do even a fraction of what he had accomplished."


Another favorite classic, Lead Belly's 'We are in the same boat brother' which he translated and covered in Assamese and Bengali, with due credit shows the influence of the African-American Spiritualists and the wish to convey messages with his songs!



Check the video where he hailed Nelson Mandela with this composition...It also shows how he wanted to connect with his music, not just locally but internationally too! So he can very well be called'the first true global Assamese.'




One more news paper wrote as they paid homage--"Singer, songwriter, composer, filmmaker-he was a complete artist. Dr. Hazarika composed for Bollywood films too without ever compromising either on his creative integrity or abandoning his roots in traditional Assamese folk. Yet he unfailingly found the popular pulse with tracks such as 'Dil hoom hoom kare' (Rudaali), 'Zara dheere zara dheeme'(Ek Pal) and 'Naino mein darpan hai'(Aarop)."

Here's a popular song from 'Aarop' made in 1973. This was earlier an Assamese song "Tumar Uxah Konhwa Komal'.

A youtube comment said-"Masterpiece like this happens rarely when poet like Maya Govind meets music legend like Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. That too when Lata and Kishore gives their voices. Ultimate."





Another well known Assamese song 'Buku hom hom kare' was remade in Bengali and in Hindi for the national award winning film 'Rudaali' by Dr. Hazarika's long time companion and friend Kalpana Lajmi who looked after him till the end.

"He was not just a singer but a social reformer who brought the Northeast closer to the rest of India," Kalpana Lajmi had said.

The lady, a director of critically acclaimed films such as Daman, Darmiyaan, Chingari(where she had collaborated with Dr. Hazarika) also happens to be India's classic actor/ director Guru Dutt's niece and painter Lalita Lajmi's daughter. She had said,"He was extraordinary. We won't have another Hazarika again."

Only she would feel and know her grief at the loss of her companion of 40 years.It's immense, it's beyond words and we understand why she said she "has lost everything"...She also said how it would be difficult for her to go back to Mumbai and start life all over again in the lonely, harsh city.Her grief is beyond words.We understand and sympathize a lot.

She had said the North east of India is orphaned and it's true.

Right now many out there have claimed they are feeling the same way. One can say 'it's like a feeling of becoming totally culturally orphaned.'





Lata Mangeshkar had sung the song in Hindi superbly.




During M.F Hussain's Gaja Gamini, the master painter is said to have told Dr. Hazarika after asking him to provide the music for his film,:"You paint through your songs, Bhupen. But I can't sing with my paintbrush. It's up to you to fill this lacuna in my artistry. That's why I have taken you.

Sadly M.F Hussain had passed away in June this year too...Hope they are continuing their good artistic work up there in Heaven.





Here is a popular song an Assamese film 'Chameli Memsaab',Dr. Hazarika was associated with(he made films in regional Indian languages-Assamese and Bengali).





Some of the songs were in association with his talented brother Jayanta Hazarika who is regarded as probably the most melodious Assamese singer.Within his short life, Jayanta Hazarika had belted out many hits.









Dr. Hazarika used to sing about being a gypsy('Zazabor' in Assamese and 'Awaara' in Hindi)
The zazabor who has seen a lot of the world-the Mississippi, the Volga, Austria,Paris et al and is a wanderer with a playful heart and how he connects with the world

Check the beautiful melody( a repeat for those who know it already.)




It of course has a deeper meaning - about people wandering to find the true meaning and purpose of life.
The gypsy returned home finally...Home to Assam


Awards, accolades won and some more info...

He was honored with the Padma Shree in 1977 for his outstanding contribution in the field of culture and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. In 1987, he had received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime contribution to development of Indian cinema in 1993. Dr. Hazarika got the National Film Award for best music direction in Assamese hit 'Chameli Memsaab' in 1975. In 2009, the Assam govt honored him with the Asom Ratna award, the state's highest civilian award.Various circles have made demands for a Bharat Ratna(the country's highest civilian award) for a while now and the momentum has increased right now.



The Northeast MP Forum, the body of all the Northeastern MPs had written in their letter to the Prime Minister in September- "There is no parallel in the field of culture in the country that can combine the strengths of creativity, music composition, lyrics and voice rendition as beautifully as displayed by Dr. Hazarika. Till this day, he has been writing and composing masterpieces to address the ills of contemporary society. His works make him a true exponent of National Integration. He is considered the last of the great mass singers and the only great ballad singer alive in India. He commands pan- Indic appeal. The North East Members of Parliament Forum strongly feels that recommending a person of his caliber and standing for the highest civilian award of the country not only befit the cause but also a quantum leap in emotional integration of the people of North Eastern region with the rest of the countrymen."

As already mentioned, apart from Assam, he popularized other North Eastern Indian states- Arunachal Pradesh,Meghalaya, Tripura and even the kingdom of Nepal

This one of his many songs that hailed Shillong, which is sometimes called the Switzerland of the east.




Another published material said-"The All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union, the organization of Gorkha youths and students of Assam, has decided to take the 'seeta bhashma(ashes) of Dr Bhupen Hazarika to Gorkhaland territorial administration region and immerse it in the river Teesta, and preserve a part of it atop Tiger Hill and Mount Kanchenjunga.Late Dr Hazarika was closely associated with the Gorkhas since his birth in 1926, at Sadiya in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam, and he grew up in Tezpur in today’s Sonitpur district – both Gorkha-populated regions of Assam. He loved the Gorkhas, their tradition and culture, and wore the ‘vadgawley Gorkha Cap’ throughout his life and sang songs such as Kopili Noir parat Gorkha Gabhoru Joni... after seeing a Gorkha girl fetch water in clay pots on the bank of Kopili river in Assam. Gorkhas in Assam henceforth will call the black coloured ‘vadgawley’ Gorkha cap worn by Dr Bhupen Hazarika ‘Bhupenda Gorkha topi’. AAGSU appealed to the Indian Gorkha population and across the globe to replace the word ‘vadgawley’ by Bhupenda and call it ‘Bhupenda Gorkha topi’ henceforth to pay true homage to the legend.

The love of the people in Assam and the North East has been immense.Truly it's like they lost a father. The state went into mourning with people gathering at his residence and lighting earthen lamps and candles in their houses as a mark of respect.Close to a million people from different parts of Assam and different walks of life, paid their tributes, bid tearful good byes and the funeral had to be postponed. There were state holidays kept in his honor. So does it mean he has become even greater in death?


Actress Seema Biswas of Oscar nominated 'Water' fame(directed by Deepa Mehta) had said,“I haven’t seen such orderly conduct given the huge turnout anywhere in the world.People came freely and spontaneously set aside any fear.”

http://telegraphindia.com/1111109/jsp/frontpage/story_14725888.jsp

The one and only son of the maestro-Tej Bhupen Hazarika, a book publisher and writer from New York flew down to do the last rites.

Tej Hazarika is a devout Buddhist and a humanitarian too who has carved a niche for himself on his own. As he rightly said by him in an interview,"without living in the shadow of his father." He had visited Assam and India in the past.But it wasn't publicized much.

The Siddhartha Kendra Vidyalaya, North Lakhimpur, Upper Assam was inaugurated by him along with his son in April 2007 and now he is academic director of the school. He had also made a short film on a school for the hearing impaired located in Guwahati, Assam and the innovative techniques used by them.

From a report-Tej Hazarika is said to have thanked the sea of fans and mourners for their overwhelming display of affection towards his late father and is reported to have said-”No words can describe what I am witnessing. It clearly has something to do with the life of my father and his works. I have to learn from my father’s works." He had said in english, apologising for not being fluent in Assamese due to his upbringing in the US,”I am proud to be my father’s son and I am proud of my family.This is a special occasion. My father will hope his words will live on. I also hope his words (lyrics) will be understood and people will learn to live in this wonderful world as envisaged by him, ”
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Lately,I also heard that his wife Candice and teenage son Sage joined him as well in Assam.This is a sad occasion, but still an occasion to remember indeed!

Please read more----

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Rahul-Gandhi-meets-Bhupen-Hazarika-s-son-in-Guwahati/Article1-766972.aspx

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/rahul-gandhi-meets-bhupen-hazarikas-son-in-guwahati_100575952.html

http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/hundreds-thousands-pay-tribute-bhupen-hazarika-photo-125438375.html


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/bhupen-hazarika

Youth leader Rahul Gandhi paid his tributes and respects as well--



Before the funeral Forensic experts preserved footprints of the maestro for eternity on a plate of plaster of Paris. A 21 gun salute was given to him by the Assam police.

Touching comments from various sites after the funeral--"Read in many places that four Doves had come from unknown places and had stayed continuously watching over his body as tens of thousands of people payed tribute. After the completion of his cremation the doves flew away."

"O'burha luit, aaji tumi iman nishobdo kiyo? kune gabo tumar shei projar upakhan...tumi aaji sthobdo hoi nujua kiyo... tumi aaji buaa kiyo"

This is in Assamese and the gist of it is- The river Brahmaputra( from Assam, India) about whom he sang so much,is silent and would also feel the pain as the poet who sang and wrote about many songs about it,so much is not there any more. After all, who's going to sing about it now?


Please view some beautiful memories, some pictures taken with wife Priyam Hazarika(Priyamvada Patel)who now lives in Canada and some other veterans such as Mohammed Rafi,Dev Anand and Lata Mangeshkar, in the years gone by...





















Here are some tributes made by fans on you tube...(Pls ignore if there are minor spelling and other errors in the videos.) We have been just so overwhelmed, especially in Assam, and also the region's people outside of India, like myself...











SOME PERSONAL MEMORIES


On another important note, Babetude has hardly revealed personal affairs, but I have to do so here. It's the right time.

Actually I and my family share the same surname as the maestro and is actually related to the illustrious family from my father's side(even though they were cousins with distant relations).

This is also true that most Assamese with the kind of connection they had with Dr. Hazarika's art,would feel related to him and it's being proved even more now.

Like many others in Assam who grew up hearing his music,I and my family have always hummed and listened to his songs and have preserved his Cds, audio cassettes(as a child)and all the other reading materials over the years.

I fondly and now sadly remember meeting this great man as a little girl in the early nineties at my home town,in fact just around my parental home where I was growing up.That was when he was the president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha(literary organization of Assam)in the year 1993 and had come down for the big meeting.


He was already a big celebrity and it was a great honor. Childhood memories are precious and this will always be a cherished memory.

So was the memory of the phone call I made as a teenager when he had asked me to come and see him at his home in Mumbai. Sadly that never happened thanks to a over protective and enthusiastic office assistant/ secretary. But soon after there was another meeting at a cultural event where I did have the honor to seek his blessings.

There were a couple of other personal meetings and viewings later on too.

There would have been more meetings but with the all the pressures of life in the big hard city, the various domestic issues and later the traveling,they were not to be:(:(:(

If I was still living in Mumbai, I would have seen him at the hospital too as a journalist and a well wisher.After all, my journo colleague and a few others were doing it with sincere devotion in the last few months.


That was a very important time to visit someone at the hospital.But it was not to be for me and I regret it immensely. I am grief struck too and have been feeling the heaviness felt by many around this time(so what if I am far away?).

I must also say here that this is the time I am missing Assam,more than ever before and feeling once again-"no matter where I live,I am an Assamese and an Indian at heart." Yes,one should never abandon one's roots.


I did say wishes and prayers for a full recovery on Face Book(through the journo colleague) on the occasion of his birthday on September 8th this year and kept Lataji's beautiful tweet with loads of wishes which said---


latamangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata)
Posted Thursday 8th September 2011 from Twitlonger
Namaskar. Aaj hamare desh ke prasiddha sangeetkar, Shri Bhupen Hazarikaji ka janamdin hai. Main unhe unke janamdin ki bahut, bahut badhaai deti hoon, aur asha karti hoon ki unki tabeeyat bahut jaldi acchhi ho jaye; aur woh jald hi ghar laut aaye.


Many fans had wished him a speedy recovery too.There were prayers, candle light vigils from family, friends, well wishers from his home state and other places...

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-05/news-interviews/30363671_1_kalpana-lajmi-bhupen-hazarika-rubbishes-rumours


But sadly he went away a little less than two months later:((:( Is it so that more prayers could have helped and he would have really recovered? Like some other, I too wish his health was maintained even as he was getting older.

Health indeed is wealth. Sufferings of old age when one is seriously unwell can be immense and then loved ones, well wishers are known to ask and pray for a release and for an end to the sufferings as well.

The end for him came at the ripe age of 85 but I must say this again here-gems like that are needed in the world,especially from a place like Assam which hardly has too many.



I am just praying like many others now:::May peace be upon your soul. May the legacy live on forever. Rest in peace our friend. Amen.




In fact,it has to be mentioned here that in my years as a teenager and rookie reporter for some TV production houses making shows for channels, I had the honor to either have telephonic or face to face interviews with many veteran artistes, great departed souls such as Naushad Sahab, Hrishikesh Mukherjee(who emphasized on how ill he was then), Shammi Kapoor, and even the ones who are fortunately around now such as Saira Banu, Vidya Sinha, Hema Malini,Prema Narayan,et al.

As observed by many noted people, most in the industry and the janta(public)today, does have the habit of forgetting the veterans, more so if they have retired or are not in the news. Or sometimes the respect given is just not enough. None of the producers I was assisting then, encouraged me, the youngster, their junior at that time to respect them more either. It's a harsh reality of life.Maybe it was not so, many years back and hope it changes.



Some of my relatives attended the funeral and the memorial services.There is also the immersion of the maestro's ashes in different rivers across Assam as well as the states of Arunachal Pradesh,Tripura,Meghalaya, the kingdom of Nepal et al he popularized with his work and even the Mississippi, the Volga and other known rivers he celebrated through his music and art.




More musings...

Aristotle had most famously said-"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

As promised while starting this blog, Babetudue has been trying to celebrate the noteworthy who have excelled in life and in art and who have known themselves well..


From even tragic events,some very important lessons of life can be learned. People have failings,we all do. But the one who rises above these failings and leads a productive, progressive, constructive life working productively for oneself and the world is usually remembered lovingly.Some people are meant to receive fame,name and money but to handle it well,without letting it go one's head and without arrogance is a challenge,an art in itself. Sometimes fame, money et al doesn't last long either. That's where spirituality steps in. Handling it well comes to the truly spiritual quite easily.

The rich legacies the truly great leave behind is preserved with love and respect.It's written in many books, it's cliche again,but it's very true. It's very important to try to live a good, peaceful life and try to do good,constructive deeds.

Sadly there are too many others who never realize that and go unsung,unknown and unmourned. Worse till, they are considered good riddance.

I too have known that one of my many duties in the world, is to celebrate art. Hope I am and will do it better as the time goes by. The spirit of the Bard from the land of the Brahmaputra inspires me more, to be more productive, constructive, progressive just like many others today ...A spirt like that should and will live on.

Last but not the least, Babetude would like to thank all youtube users and all those who contributed to the making of the lovely videos...



Leaving you all with Oscar and Grammy winning Indian composer/ singer, A.R Rahman's version of the 'Jana Gana Mana',the Indian national anthem, where artistes from all over India had performed. One can see Dr. Hazarika and another late great Jagjit Singh in the video as well.



(Videos and some reports and quotes courtesy: All the wonderful people on youtube, other media and social media sources.)


The ending prayer: Salute the spirits of the true artistes.Peace be upon them.May there be goodness all around. God bless.