The Assam government on Sunday decided to arrange the cremation of the departed music legend Bhupen Hazarika at the Sankardev Uddyyan at Fancybazar locality in the heart of the city on the banks of the Brahmaputra. The cremation will take place on Tuesday.
The State government also declared Tuesday a holiday as a mark of respect to the ballad singer, composer, journalist, litterateur and acclaimed filmmaker.
The demand for cremation of the ballad singer at a public place and construction of a memorial at the site on the pattern of Rajghat Samdhi of Mahatma Gandhi was first raised by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and then echoed by different quarters. The State government's decision came as thousands of mourners thronged the banks of the Dighalipukhuri tank here to offer their tribute at the statute of the singer that was constructed at the initiative of the AASU and inaugurated by Bhupen Hazarika himself in 2009. The crowd included filmmakers, singers, actors, political leaders, students and youth, men and women, old and young.
The mortal remains of the bard will be flown from Mumbai to Assam on Monday and will reach the Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi international airport here at 11.40 a.m.
From the airport it will be taken in a convoy to his Nizarapara residence and it will stop briefly at Dharapur, Gauhati University, Maligaon, Bharalumukh, Dighalipukhuri en route to enable the people to pay tributes. f the convoy.