Exploring Creative Duality of a Musical Genius — Dr Bhupen Hazarika

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta IPS (Retd)

- 

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika stands as one of India's most significant cultural icons, and the story of his creative journey is, as much as anything, the story of a profound internal struggle. This struggle—between a deep-seated nationalistic impulse and a fierce spirit of independence—pervades both his life and his art, lending his creations their enduring vitality and complexity.

Nationalism: A Binding Force

From his earliest years, Hazarika was steeped in the ethos of nationalistic purpose. Growing up amid monumental political and social changes—India's freedom movement, the 1950 earthquake, the Indo-China War, the Bangladesh War, and the Assam Student Movement against Illegal Immigration—the artist absorbed and reflected the aspirations, frustrations, and dreams of an evolving nation and a restless region. His music and lyrics became a voice for collective belonging, a resounding call to unity and identity, particularly for the people of Assam and the North East.

Hazarika's nationalistic streak is perhaps most clearly seen in songs like "Ami AsomiyaNohouDukhia" and "BukuHomHom Kore." These works are not mere celebrations of place; they are acts of articulation—statements of identity for Assam and its people, expressed with a profound sincerity. In "Ami AsomiyaNohouDukhia," for example, he urges his listeners to recognize their shared pain and rally against existential threats, whether external, such as illegal immigration, or internal, as in the neglect by the larger Indian polity. Yet, even as his lyrics throb with the pulse of Assamese nationalism, they avoid jingoistic excess; Hazarika's is a nationalism rooted in empathy, cultural pride, and a longing for integration—not exclusion—within the pan-Indian framework.