On his Birthday – Asam Ratna Award for Dr Hazarika

September 9, 2008 – 5:31 am

Asam Ratna Award for Dr Hazarika
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 8 – The first-ever Asam Ratna Award will be bestowed on the State’s cultural icon Dr Bhupen Hazarika in recognition of his seminal contribution to Assamese culture, and music in particular. This was revealed on the celebrated singer’s birthday today by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while interacting with select mediapersons.

Gogoi, underlining the role of Dr Hazarika in Assam’s cultural sphere, said that the newly instituted award would comprise a citation and Rs 3 lakh. The honour will be bestowed on Dr Hazarika by either the President of India or the Prime Minister at a venue to be finalised later.

The Chief Minister, describing Hazarika as a pride of Assam, hoped that he would continue his artistic journey and enrich Assam with his invaluable work.

Dr Hazarika, born in 1926 at Sadiya in Upper Assam, has been offered numerous national and international honours in his illustrious career and is also a Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner.

The Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust and Srimanta Sankardev Kalakhetra Samaj today organized a Bhupendra Sangeet contest at the Kalakshetra to mark his birthday.

Gup-Shup 94.3 FM also celebrated Dr Hazarika’s birthday by organizing a special one-on-one radio talk featuring Rose Barua, sister of the eminent singer. Samar Hazarika, one of the brothers of Dr Hazarika was also interviewed on the occasion.