Bhupen Hazarika, who was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna in 2019, was a singer, balladeer, poet, lyricist and film maker who was widely admired not only in native Assam but across the country.
He started out as a child actor and wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10. His famous song, `O Ganga, tum bhati ho kyun’ is sung across homes in India. Hazarika created his own ode to the Brahmaputra. His song on Bangladesh’s liberation was very popular and he was well-known in Nepal.
Hazarika was popularly known as Bhupenda in Assam and awaded with titles like Sudhakantha.
He had joined the BJP ahead of 2004 Lok Sabha elections impressed by the performance of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government though he desisted bondage of a political party. He had also been an independent member of the Assam Assembly.
Picture Credit : Google