Guwahati: Over 17,000 students sang Bhupen Hazarika’s popular song ‘Manuhe Manuher babe’ (if humans do not care for other humans) on Wednesday in Assam‘s Nagaon district to mark the maestro’s birth centenary celebrations and made it to the India Book of Records.
Organised by the Nagaon district administration, students from 63 educational institutions, including schools and colleges, participated in the event at the Nurul Amin Stadium.
A team of officials from ‘India Book of Records’ (IBR), led by Sunita Kedia, was present on the occasion to record the event, and later, a certificate was handed over to Nagaon District Commissioner Devashish Sarma.
The event was also attended by BJP MLAs from Nagaon and Raha, Rupak Sarma and Sashikanta Das, respectively, Nagaon University Vice Chancellor Hitesh Deka, senior officials, prominent artistes, cultural personalities, among others.
The year-long centenary celebrations of Bhupen Hazarika, fondly remembered as “Sudhakanta,” began on September 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend a special tribute event in Nagaon on September 13.
The Bharat Ratna awardee, popularly called ‘Sudhakanta’, was born at Sadiya in Tinsukia district on September 8, 1926.
“Fondly hailed as the ‘Bard of the Brahmaputra’ and reverentially remembered as ‘Sudhakantha’ (the nectar-throated), his genius as a singer, lyricist, composer, filmmaker and poet transcended boundaries, making him not only the pride of Assam but of the entire India,” Prime Minister had said in an article he authored on the Bharat Ratna awardee.
He said from Assam emerged a voice that flowed like a timeless river, crossing borders and cultures while carrying with it the spirit of humanity.
