Assam: Bhupen Hazarika Honoured with ‘Bharat Ratna’
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed the Centre’s decision to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on singer Bhupen Hazarika.
Guwahati
Late Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika is still remembered today for his beautiful contribution to the Indian Film Industry. He received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in 1975. In 1992, he was awarded India’s highest award in cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke Award. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, in 2012 and today President Ram Nath Kovind has posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna to music maestro Bhupen Hazarika.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a heartfelt message for Hazarika and tweeted, “The songs and music of Shri Bhupen Hazarika are admired by people across generations. From them radiates the message of justice, harmony and brotherhood. He popularised India’s musical traditions globally. Happy that the Bharat Ratna has been conferred on Bhupen Da.” In May 2017, PM Modi named the longest bridge after Bhupen Hazarika.
The songs and music of Shri Bhupen Hazarika are admired by people across generations. From them radiates the message of justice, harmony and brotherhood.
He popularised India's musical traditions globally.
Happy that the Bharat Ratna has been conferred on Bhupen Da.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2019
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed the Centre’s decision to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on singer Bhupen Hazarika.
In a statement issued here, Sonowal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conferring the highest civilian award of the country on the legendary singer from Assam, honouring the long-pending demand of the people of the state and the north-east.
Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state BJP chief Ranjit Dass also expressed happiness over the decision to confer Bharat Ratna on Hazarika.
Born in 1926 in Sadiya, Assam, Hazarika completed his basic education in Guwahati, Assam in 1942. He then went to Banaras Hindu University to complete his bachelors in 1944 and continued with his masters in Political Science. He then went to Columbia University where he completed his PhD in Mass Communication.
Hazarika died on November 5, 2011 of multi-organ failure. Before his cremation, his body lay in state at Judges Field for his fans and followers to bid him farewell. He was cremated on November 9 and an estimated half a million people attended it.
