On the occasion of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s 92nd birth anniversary, Indian High Commissioner to UK, Y K Sinha visited the Nehru Centre at Mayfair in London and paid a candle light tribute at the portrait of the music maestro.
He was accompanied by Lord Sheikh, Brij Kumar Guhare, Deputy Director of Nehru Centre, Rini Kakati, Assam coordinator for UK of the organization Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS), Apurba Baruah, Krishna Baruah and Suravi Lahon, a press communique received said.
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The Indian High Commissioner to UK, Y K Sinha thanked Rini Kakati and Deputy Director of Nehru Centre for this great initiative shown to their beloved Bhupen da.
The portrait of Bhupen Hazarika had been unveiled at the Nehru Centre, Mayfair in London on June 26, 2012 by Dr Jaimini Bhagwati, who was the first Assamese High Commissioner to join Indian Embassy in London with Gowri Shankar, Deputy Director, the Nehru Centre, cultural wing of Indian High Commission.
The dignitaries present on the occasion were M Sayeedur Rahman Khan, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Lord Swraj Paul, prominent industrialist.
Prabin Hazarika (Bhupen Hazarka’s brother) with his wife Trisha Hazarika from Leicester were also present.
This event had been initiated by Rini Kakati.
It has been six years now. Visitors from Northeast, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangladesh visit Nehru Centre, the heritage cultural building, of the Indian Government in London to pay their tributes to the portrait of Dr Bhupen Hazarika.
It is now a part of tourist attraction.
“Assam has been fortunate to have given birth to a great musical genius in Dr Bhupen Hazarika. He was an ardent supporter of Assamese nationalism and wrote many soul stirring compositions about the cultural heritage of his native State, but his work transcended regional boundaries and the values he espoused were universal. Now that mighty voice has fallen silent. Assam is poorer for it. The world is poorer for it,” Kakati said.
She further said that from the post-colonial period of undivided Assam, from pre-independent India till today where Assam has been divided into major north-eastern states, no individual had matched Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s contribution which has motivated, represented, dominated, progressed, enlightened and awakened all the people of this region.