A dance ballad as a tribute to the legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika, who passed away recently, was organised at Ramjas College here on Friday. The tribute was put together by the students of Gauhati Commerce College.
Choreographed under the guidance of Jatin Goswami, the show was a colourful collage of various ethnic dance forms from the North-East. The event began with renditions of Dr. Hazarika's melodies that left the audience captivated.
Dance to his tunes
The 52-member troupe from Gauhati Commerce College presented various dance forms including the Sattriya Nritya from Majuli – the world's largest river island, the Bagurumba dance of the Bodo community, Nakchung Reni of Rabhas, Bihu, Jhumur dance from the tea tribe, and many more.
These performances were complemented by folk songs which included the Kamrupi Lokgeet, Goalparia Lokgeet and Bihu Geet.
The theme of the event was “Unity in Diversity”, which is what Dr. Hazarika professed through his songs and compositions.
Talking about the tribute, Mr. Goswami said: “It is a very noble exercise when culture bridges gaps between communities. Our performance displays our rich cultural heritage that binds us together. People may also realise the richness of our folk music.”
Ramjas College vice-principal P.N. Dutta Gupta said: “We are honoured to showcase the rich culture of North-East India here in our college, especially in memory of the legendary Bhupen Hazarika. Such exercises not only help students understand a region even better but also help them become better citizens.”
Several students from other Delhi University colleges and from Jawaharlal Nehru University turned up in huge numbers for the occasion.
The programme, said many, helped them understand the cultural diversity that exists within the country as well as understand the social and political aspects of far-off regions in the North-East.
Pallavi Deka, a Ph.D. student from JNU, said the event helped her understand more about the region “that has been neglected for so many years from a cultural and social point of view”.
“I am amazed to learn of Dr. Hazarika's contribution towards humanity. Such shows not only bring back memories of the Bard of Brahmaputra but also compel us to introspect and think progressively,” she added.
