Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and the Gorkha Community

ANJAN BASKOTA

(On the occasion of 11th death anniversary of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika)
The Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika is in the true sense, a manifold artist of assimilation. Throughout his life he sings for the sake of humanity, peace, communal harmony and integrity. He is such a profound scholar who can chant round the clock on any themes he likes. Being a mouthpiece of the soil and the race, he tried whole heartedly to represent the Assamese society and culture in the global platform at large.  A music maestro in the real sense, Dr. Hazarika’s melodious vocal tune could mesmerize the people from nook and corner of the universe. Not only in Assam but also in Indian scenario he is widely accepted as an established singer, lyricist, melody king and as an efficient music director. Not only that, his unique talent in the world of music carries him beyond the geographical boundary of the country and provides him a separate universal recognition.
Most of the songs sung by the Bharat Ratna Dr. Hazarika represent by and large the communities of Assam like the Tea Tribe, Bodo’s, Kachari’s, Mising, Michimi, Aka, Dofola, Naga, Garo, Gorkha, Rabha, Deuri, Dimasa, Hajong, Lalung, Muslims of Chhar area etc. There are perhaps  no communities of Assam not reflected in Dr. Hazarika’s songs. Really, Dr. Hazarika a perfect messanger of assimilation. He plays a pivotal role in building a bridge of mutual understanding and  brotherhood among the multiple communities of Assam.
Dr. Hazarika maintained a mutual, cordial relationship with the Gorkhas of Assam. He loved the Gorkha community from the core of his heart. Dr. Hazarika was only Ten years old when his father Nila Kanta Hazarika introduced him with the lovely Tezpur town. Bhupen Daa got the blissful company of Rupkuwor Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha. Their mighty influence enshrined and enlightened his educational as well as cultural life. By profession, his father was a higher official of Tezpur court. Because of this, a large number of Gorkha people visited their house frequently. The musical talent of Anju Devi, a little singer girl of the Gorkha community was  newly explored by Dr. Hazarika. The tuneful melody of this girl attracted Dr. Hazarika a lot.  In the initial stages, Dr. Hazarika used to carry  her with him in various cultural functions where he was invited to perform. Slowly, Dr. Hazarika provided opportunities to  Anju Devi to perform  in many concerts. Because of his efforts  she was promoted as a co-singer to perform many musical functions  with Dr. Hazarika including Bihu festival and other cultural occasions.
Dr. Hazarika  not only gave his divine tune to many Nepali songs, and made the community feel pride but also the particular Gorkha cap that the music maestro had worn enhanced the status of that  community. The peculiar cap that he worn till his last breath is known as “Bhad Gaule Topi”. ‘Topi’ in Nepali is a cap. “Bhad Gaule Topi” is a special type of cap which is prepared in ‘The Bhad Gaule’ area of our neighouburing country  Nepal. But the ‘Sudha Kantha’ took  the ‘topi’ with utmost love, respect and care and introduced it to other parts  around the globe. For that grand reason, the Gorkhas of Assam renamed the particular cap as “Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Topi”. This is one of the evidences of how much the Gorkhas love and respect him. Dr. Hazarika  worn this cap for nearly fifty years in his head which  was gifted to him by the then king of Nepal once he  had visited the Royal Palace of Nepal with a team of artists of Assam.   
Dr. Hazarika could compose wonderful songs at any moments he liked. One such interesting incident happened in the year 1955 when he was returning to Guwahati from Nagaon. He saw a Gorkha girl chasing a cow in Khetri from the window of the bus. How marvelously he could transform this ordinary incident to an immortal, historical song:
“Phut Gadhulite Kapili Khutit
Kun Gorkhali Gavarure gaijoni heral
Gaijoni nu kene
Tulona je nai
Henu khei Saporit
Tair man gakhiroti nai
Kanchiye ringiyaye- ‘O! Bogi gai
O! lakhsmi gai….
Oi! Tumi dekhun nahile mur
Byabokayo nai….’
Khei mitha mator  chiyore Kapili kopaye
(Tair) Ruptirthar yatri ejon mathun ase
Gaon tar Khetri, khi Nal Bahadur Chhetry
Gai bisorar sole, monor morom jase
(Khei) morom dekhi Kanchhi joni ronga pori jaye….”
English Translation:  
 “In the dusk at Kapili(1) cowshed
One Gorkhali girl has lost a cow
The cow was such
Had no comparison
In that vast river bank area
There was no milky cow like her.
Kanchi(2) calls out ‘O! white cow
O! Lakshmi(3) cow
If you don’t come
My business will be ruined’
The melodious cry vibrates through whole Kapili
There’s only one who loves her much
Khetri(4) is his village, he is Nal Bahadur Chhetry
Pretexting her during cow search he expresses his love
Kanchi turns red feeling her beloved’s love….”
The exact picture of Nepali community of that time with their cow keeping and farming being the only source of livelihood, is so accurately portrayed by Dr. Hazarika that this rare song has attained a special identity in the Nepali socio-cultural context.
From a very reliable source, we have  come to know that Dr. Hazarika could speak the Nepali language more or less. Since he had been in a close contact with the Gorkha people from his childhood, he used to converse with them in the Nepali language. He also established a marital family relationship with the Gorkha people by welcoming Shova Subedi (Hazarika) as his sister-in-law. Late Shiva Kumar Subedi(5) was his neighbor. He maintained  a cordial relation with the neighboring Subedi family. Shova Subedi, daughter of Late Shiva Kumar Subedi and Sabitri Subedi was very challenging and talented girl since her childhood. She was a member of local ‘Moina Parijat’(6). She too was a child singer of that period. Dr. Hazarika saw her inner potentiality and offered her chances to sing in different  Bihu and cultural functions along with him.  In the year 1987, Samar Hazarika, brother of Dr. Hazarika, and well known musician of the time married Shova Subedi. Dr. Hazarika did a noble job by uniting these two loving hearts through traditional rituals. The man behind this marriage was no other than Dr. Hazarika. Thus, Dr. Hazarika family welcomed a Gorkha girl as a daughter-in-law symbolizing universal brotherhood.
Dr. Hazarika gave ample scope to Anju Devi to sing in the documentary ‘Rup kunwor Jyoti Prasad Agarwala aaru Joymoti’ films like ‘Bon Hangsha’, ‘Bon Jui’, ‘Angikar’ etc and in many other audio cassettes. By lifting the position of an unknown girl Dr. Hazarika introduced a Gorkha girl to the world of music and enshrined her as a singer. On Anju Devi’s request Dr. Hazarika showered his melodious tune in Nepali audio cassette “Doko’’ in  which Dr. Hazarika and Anju Devi jointly recorded in many immortal songs. The lyrics, rhythm and tune coined by Dr. Hazarika in the cassette were translated into the Nepali language by the reknown poet Hari Bhakta Katuwal and Goma Sarma. A famous song from the said audio cassette is quoted below-
“Doko he doko
Doko vitra dhanei dhanei chhan…
Doura Suruwal chha sahuka…
Mero chhoralai yespali
Chadma dinu sakina auta voto…”
English Translation:
“Doko(7) oh! Doko
There is plenty of paddy corps
Doura Suruwal’s(8) are available in vendors shop
I am unable to give my son
Even a voto(9) in this festive season….”
After the mass popularity of the audio cassette “Doko”, the famous song “Phut Gadhulite….” was translated into the Nepali language in which Dr. Hazarika along with Anju Devi recorded their fine voices. Here are some lines from that song-
“Sajh voi aayo Kapili pari
Kun Gorkhali tarunile pyari
Gai lai horai…”
English Translation: (The meaning is same with the Assamese song ‘Phut Gadhulite….Kapili Khutite’
The topic mentioned in the title is wide and varied. It cannot be analyzed in an article. It is a matter of expanded research. True, the artist like Dr. Hazarika who sings for the humanity ‘Manuhe Manuhar Babe’ (Man for man’s sake) is hard to find in the present day context. What could be more humanitarian in spirit than the following few lines from his song:
“Byakti Jodi Byakti kendrik
Samasti Jodi byakitta rahit
Tene Khithil samajk nabhanga kiyo?”….
English Translation:
“If people are self-centered
And a society without unique norms
Why not you destroy it?”
Conclusion:
To conclude, let us all unite together to live the meaningful life that our beloved artist Dr. Hazarika had dreamt. Let us live for our society of humanity, where humanity reigns. Let us all pay our homage and golden tribute to this ‘Great Soul’ by weaving his dreams into a practical reality with our sincere and unified efforts in the days to come.
A. Foot Notes:
1. Kapili: Name of a place. 2. Kanchi: An youngest girl of a Gorkha family. 3. Lakshmi: Here, name of a cow. 4. Khetri: Name of a place. 5. Subedi: A sub-title of the Gorkhas. 6. Moina Parijat: Children’s socio-cultural Organization. 7. Doko: a traditional basket used to carry goods on back made of bamboo. 8. Doura Suruwal: Traditional male wear of the Gorkhas. 9. Voto: Vest like under garment.
B. Bibliography:
1. ‘Dr. Bhupen Hazarikar Geet Samagra’, Editor: Surya Hazarika, page:330-331.
2. ‘Moi Eti Jajabor’ (Dr. Hazarika’s dictated Biography; Transliteration by Surya Hazarika).
3. ‘Tathya Kosht Bhupen Hazarika; Sadhana, Siddhi aru Sristi’, Editor: Shantanu Koushik Baruah.
4. ‘History and Culture of Assamese-Nepali’, Gen. Editor: Dr. Jamadagni Upadhyaya, publisher: Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies, Assam, 2009.
5. ‘Kal Joye Geet aru Jeeban Darshan’, Praneshwar Nath.
6. ‘Dr. Bhupen Hazarika aru Gorkha Samaj’ (an article by Anjan Baskota published in Prantik; an Assamese fortnightly, 16-31 December, 2019, page: 34-35, Editor: Pradeep Baruah).
(Email:anjanbaskota11@gmail.com, Phone: 7002702268/9854519717)