First Bhupen Hazarika National Award to Usha Mangeshkar: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Usha Mangeshkar discusses navigating personal loss and collective mourning after the passing of India’s legendary musical icons (Source: Express photo by Arul Horizon)

ASSAM CHIEF Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that the closing ceremony of Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary celebrations will be held on November 29 in Delhi.

Sarma said the state Cabinet has also approved a national-level award named after the maestro. The inaugural ‘Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika National Award’ will be presented to eminent singer Usha Mangeshkar in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Indian music, the CM said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present the award at the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebrations at Bharat Mandapam.

“It will be conferred once every three years to an internationally or nationally recognised figure in music, arts or cinema,” Sarma said, adding that the award will include a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a citation.

“The event will showcase the remarkable artistic legacy and multifaceted genius of Dr Hazarika whose music, poetry and humanist philosophy have transcended geographical and cultural boundaries,” he said.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said that around 5,000 people from different walks of life are expected to be present at the event.

Dig at Rahul Gandhi

Following PM Modi’s comments on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi being a “failed product”, Sarma on Friday said the Congress party has been trying to “relaunch the same product” every year.

He said the Congress has “discovered an eternal youth product called Rahul Gandhi”. “Today the Congress even recognizes a 57-year-old gentleman as a youth and Gen-Z. By that logic, I am also a Gen-Z because I am also 57. He (Gandhi) never becomes old, never becomes matured and every time he is relaunched as a youth icon,” Sarma said.

Story continues below this ad

Taking a jibe at Gandhi’s foreign trips, the CM said the LoP travels abroad “for a cooling-off period and then is relaunched”.

“Every time he fails, he himself departs for a foreign country as a cooling-off period. After the cooling off is done, he will come back and the Congress party will again try to relaunch him. There are some people who remain excited about him (Gandhi),” Sarma said.

He further added, “Those who launch him don’t get tired of doing so, but the customers get tired.”