Bhupen Hazarika Centenary: Usha Mangeshkar Honoured on Nov 29
Guwahati, October 23: Veteran playback singer Usha Mangeshkar will receive the Bhupen Hazarika Award during a centenary celebration in New Delhi on November 29. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Friday.
Sarma made the announcement to the media following a meeting of the state cabinet. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present at the event, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
The award comes with a prize of Rs 10 lakh. The state government has chosen Mangeshkar for her contribution to Indian music, the Chief Minister said.
The programme is linked to the 100th birth anniversary of Bhupen Hazarika, whose music, poetry and creative output were admired far beyond Assam. He is regarded as one of the country's most important cultural personalities.
Born in Sadiya, Assam, on September 8, 1926, Hazarika was popularly known as Sudhakantha or Koyal. His songs often reflected humanity, social justice, equality, communal harmony and the everyday realities of common people.
He was a central figure in promoting Assamese music and culture on a national and global scale. Inspired by the folk traditions of his homeland, he composed songs that resonated with audiences across India and beyond. His compositions, especially those about the struggles of ordinary people and the bonds that unite humanity, still hold an esteemed place in India's heritage.
Hazarika's achievements were widely recognised. In 1992 he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honour in cinema. He was given the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2012. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019.
The centenary celebrations are expected to celebrate his lasting impact on music, cinema and literature, and to revive his legacy as a cultural ambassador for Assam and the Northeast. The Prime Minister's expected presence in Delhi is likely to bring the centenary greater prominence at the national level.