Shantiniketan: Visva-Bharati University’s Bhasa Bhavan has hosted a seminar titled “A Commemorative Seminar on the Life, Literature and Cultural Contributions of Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua” as part of Monokobita 2026 in Shantiniketan, West Bengal.
The event, organized by the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation, highlighted the enduring impact of their literary and cultural contributions on Indian language and literature.
Professor Mrinal Kanti Mandal, Head of Bhasa Bhavan, inaugurated the discussion series, noting that “Dr Hazarika’s songs are rooted in human love, nature, social consciousness, and fraternity. Navakanta Barua is a central figure in Assamese literature, inspired by the universal humanist ideals of Tagore, which he imbibed as a student at Shantiniketan.”
Prof. Mandal said that although the creative works of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua were primarily composed in Assamese, every admirer of Indian language, literature, and culture has been inspired and enriched by them.
The seminar, titled “A Commemorative Seminar on the Life, Literature and Cultural Contributions of Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua”, was moderated by Professor Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami of the Srimanta Sankardev Chair, Visva-Bharati. Eminent scholars, including Professor Bibhas Choudhury (Gauhati University), Professor Srila Basu (Visva-Bharati), and Professor Arindam Barkataki (Anandaram Dhekial Phookan College, Nagaon), provided insights into the life, philosophy, and works of Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua.
Professor Choudhury offered a comparative study of Barua’s poetry with global literary figures like T.S. Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Walt Whitman, while Professor Dev Goswami cited Bertrand Russell, observing that Dr Hazarika’s life was guided by “passionate love, pursuit of knowledge, and empathy for human suffering.”
The welcome address at the seminar was delivered by Professor Sangeeta Saikia of the Assamese Department at Visva-Bharati, while Bipuljyoti Saikia proposed the vote of thanks on behalf of the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation. This year’s Monokobita is being organised with partial financial support from HDFC Bank and Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
The event was organised by the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation in collaboration with the Assamese Department and Bhasha Bhavan of Visva-Bharati, as well as the Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust.
As part of Monokobita, a captivating cultural programme featuring songs and poems of Dr. Hazarika and Navakanta Barua was held in the evening at Lipika Auditorium of Visva-Bharati. Performers included Jay Barua, Kalyan Barua, Rupam Bhuyan, Arupjyoti Barua, actor Tapan Das, Sattriya artist Anita Sharma, Upasana Mahanta Gogoi, Banshree Bailung, Manisha Majumdar from Bengal, and Pooja Singh.
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Visva-Bharati students Priyanka Devi Mondal and Krishna Tamuli also presented songs and dance performances. The seminar and cultural programme were anchored by Satyaki D’Com Bora and Mintu Barua.
The event emphasized the lasting legacy of Dr Hazarika and Navakanta Barua, demonstrating how Assamese literature continues to inspire audiences nationwide.
