Humanism in Bhupen Hazarika's songs

Music is an integral part of the culture. Music has been expanding influences on human life and society. Music has certainly been playing a major role in Assamese life with and Assamese society 

for centuries. Hazarika is well known as an Indian lyricist, musician, singer, poet, and filmmaker. Bhupen Hazarika was born in Sadiya, Tinsukia District of Assam on 8th September 1926. He was exposed to the musical influence of his mother, who exposed him to lullabies and traditional music of Assam.  Hazarika became famous as an Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet, and filmmaker from Assam. His voice was very 

melodious. When he sings, if it starts showering nectar from heaven. So, he is widely known as Sudhakantha (the voice of nectar).Hazarika's songs based on the themes of communal amity, universal justice, and empathy, have become popular among the people of Assam, West Bengal, and Bangladesh. He received 

the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in 1975, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, the Padmashri Award in 1977 and the Padmabhushan Award in 2001. Hazarika was awarded Dada Saheb Phalke Award – the highest award of India for cinema by the Government of India, in 1992, 

and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship - the highest award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India in 2008. Hazarika was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, in 2012 and the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 2019.

 Humanisim is the  most relevant and popular topic in the world these days.  The cruel   mankind in increasing in day to day life and in frightening the whole world . It si believed that human beings are the best of the kinds of  begin. But they do not think or help each other.  More people in our society think about their own family. Property, money ,etc. But apart from this, there are some people in our society,who have been  associated with humanity in a crucial time. He used to sing for the poor and suffering people and constantly, think about the well being of the people and the society . The philosophy of humanisim has reflect thought these thoughts of Hazarika. Lf human do not think for humans and if a humkan cannot be truly  human , then he will surely be a demon. It i meaningless to find the humanity in the society o such demon's.Dr. Hazarika has sung as: 

Manuhe manuhor babe yadihe okonu navabe

Okoni xohanuvutire

 vabib kunenu kua?Xomoniya 

That means Hazarika has asked to wholy society that if human do not  think about humans,than who will think for humans. There's no one think.again he has sang to the again sem song as:

Manuhe manuhok besib khuji

Manuhe manuhok kinib khuji

Puroni itihax duharile..

Bhul janu nohob kua xomoniya...

Durbol manuhe jodi

Jibonor kubal nodi

Par hoi tumare xahot

Tumi heruabanu ki?

It means if try to buy of sell humanity.won't we be wrong?if any weak people will succeed in his life straggle with your help then, what will be your loss? Though these lines Hazarika has told that as human we live in a society. In society, there are different classes based on power, economic , and ethics. It is very important to help each other to keep peace in society . In society, if a powerful person helps a poor in their life struggle , than there in no loss of the powerful person , but the poor person will get the strength to live . On this content , the all-round development in that socity is not possible. This song in the most popular in Assam and India also . It has been translated to almost all India language . 

              Bhupen Hazarika came in contact with Paul Robeson the  prominent civil rights activist, during his ph.D.  Research at Columbia University of New York. He wrote the song  'Brstrna parare' (of the wide shores) inspired by Paul Robeson’s song 'OI' Man River'. In the song ,  '  Brstrna parare' Hazarika has used many power full words for the change in society . Here are some lines from the song: 

              

Naitikatar skhalna dekhiu

Manavatra patan dekhiu

Nirlajja alasbhave buva kiyo?

  Byakti yadi byakti ,samasti yadi byaktitwa rohit

 Tene shithil samajak nabhaga kiyo?

 

       It means ,why do you flow with shamelessly  even after witnessing the fall of morality and humanity?  In 1970, Hazarika composed another famous song 'Mai Eti Yāyābar’. Jajabar or Yāyābar

       (wander) means one who has no permanent address. Bhupen Hazarika considered himself a jajabar. He has roamed the whole world. Therefore the whole world is like his own home.Hazarika has narrated his travels from Luit (a part of Brahmaputra river in Assam) to Mississippi, Ottawa to Austria-Paris, then 

Ellura to Chicago in this song. After traveling abroad, Hazarika has seen that people of one category are getting richer from day to day and have been building big to bigger flats or houses. On the other hand,another category is to become poorer and have lost their houses. Seeing these poor and homeless people, the compassionate heart of Hazarika has started a cry and his mind flew as a jajabar:

       

       Mai Eti Yāyābar

       Dharār dihinge dipānge lavaru nibicāri nijā ghar.

       

       Generally, most traveler or wanderer (yāyābar) are aimless. Whatever gets in his life, he spends his life with it and goes away. But Hazarika was not like them. He had a great goal and purpose. He saw a lot of heart-rending scenes. 

       … Grhahin nara-nāri …

       Bahu deshe deshe grha dās dekhi cintita hau bar

       Manar mānuh bahutei dekhu gharatei haice par.

       Seeing homeless people, home-worker, and those who became unknown in his own home,Hazarika felt very sad. Therefore he used to think about eradicating the evils in society through songs and wished to form equality and classless society. Instead, he did not ask for anything. He only wished for a sweet speech. He has described it in another song '

       

Ākāshi Gangā Bicarā Nāi’.

       Ākāshi Gangā Bicarā Nāi

       Nāi bicarā swarna alamkār

       Nisthur jivanar sangrāmat

       Bicāru maramar māt akhār.

       

       That means, Hazarika neither wanted the Akashi Ganga (heaven) nor the gold ornaments. In  the struggle for life, he expected only a sweet speech from the people. Hazarika has mentioned his last 

       wish in one of his songs.

       

       Mai Yetiā Ei Jivanar Māyā Eri Guci Jām

       Āshā karu mur citār kākhat tumār sahāri pām

       Nālāge mur suvarani sabhā, nālāge micā nām

       Tumār etupi cakulu pālei mai pām mur dām.

   Through these lines, Hazarika has told that, when he will leave this world, he hopes that people will be near his funeral pyre. He does not want his condolence meeting or spreading of his virtue. Only a drop in people's tears will feel him the value of his life. At the last moment of his life, what  Hazarika had expected from his followers was fulfilled. Along with Assam, many people of India and all over the world love and respect Bhupen Hazarika. It came true in the time of his death. More than lakhs of people had gathered to see Hazarika for the last time. Many followers from outside India, had  mourning messages in his death.

Humanists are always trying to establish a society of equality and classless by removing the evils of society. They always think about the people of the society. Bhupen Hazarika is one of them. He 

only believed in humanity. Hazarika thinks that, if humanity is not developed, then a society cannot be progress only by money and wealth. For Hazarika, the whole world is like his motherland. Hence the 

scene of various provinces of the world is seen in his songs. If the future generation will be able to understand the reformable consciousness of Hazarika, then good humanity will be born, who will be able 

to form the society of his dream. 

Being an Assamese, Hazarika never sang only for the Assamese. But his songs carry the practices of the human love of the whole world.  religion or region. That's why he  Therefore it is ou Hazarika and should help to get a place in the world.

 ‘‘Humanism in 

 Bhupen Hazarika’s songs: A Critical Review'' is a vast subject in research. There is every possibility of 

 study in this subject in the future also.

References:

1. Gogoi,bhupen: "Bhupen Hazarika songs and Humanity"

2. 2. Dutta, Dilip Kumar, “Bhupen Hazarikar Geet aru Jivan Rath”, Sri Bhumi Publishing.