Sanghati Divas: Kalikaprasad remembered along with Bhupen Hazarika & Anjali Lahiri

way2barak, Sept.12: Sanghati Divas was celebrated on the birth anniversary of Kalikaprasad Bhattacharya along with Bhupen Hazarika and Anjali Lahiri at the Sudmerson Hall in the campus of Cotton University under the auspices of Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Asom, Cotton University Bengali faculty and Rudra Rhythm Kala Kendra, Guwahati on last 11 September. It was indeed an amazing programme in the sense of unification of two linguistic communities, the Bengali and the Assamese.

The function commenced with a chorus led by Mausumi Sikder and then followed a few solos sung by Ranjan Bezbaruah from Nowgong who did in three languages Assamese, Bengali and Sanskrit, Sadananda Gogoi , Tarun Kalita,Shreya Nath et al. A dance was also performed to a Sanskrit number by Mayukhi sung by her father Ranjan Bezbaruah.

When it was just the dusk, the celebrities present there including 90-year old renowned drama artist Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee,Manisha Hajarika, Manjula Hazarika (General Secretary, Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust),Sadananda Gogoi, Tarun Kalita, Utpal Dutta et al lit the ceremonial lamp.
In the midst of presentations of songs and a dance the significance of Sanghati Divas was highlighted by Samarbijoy Chakraborty, the President of Silchar branch of Bangla Sahity Sabha, Asom. He elaborated Kalika’s contributions that entail a unique cultural bridge between the Assamese and the Bengali cultures. He also pointed about the inclusion of Ozha Nritya of Barak- Surma Valley by Mukundadas Bhattacharjee in the Bhupen Hazarika’s debut film ‘Era Bator Sur’.

Almost each and everyone has emphasized significance of Bhupen Hazarika in the brisk deliberations. Tusar Saha spoke about Anjali Lahiri whose 101 birth anniversary tallies that of Kalika. By the way, Bhupen Hazarika was born on 8 September, 1926. Anjali was a great writer and related to Dr. Kumar Kanti Das (Lakhan Das) presently at Srikona on the outskirt of Silchar.

Argha Mahapatra sang the song of Kalika Prasad, originally composed and sung by the latter which was his swansong— ami tomari tomari gan gai/ amar gan gao tumi— the audience chorused the first line. Tarun Kalita, noted Saradist in the N.E. Region, gave his voice to a song of Lalan Fakir.
Abhilasha Chakraborty sang Sobar uopore Rabindranath Chetonai Nazrul, Chandan Bhaduri sang koto jonor mrityu hol and a varsity student named Jayatri Barthakur sang out a Rabindra Sangeet.
Dil hum hum kore by Mausumi Sikder and Anwesha Sikder, Aparupa aparupa by Sabana Anjum, Bistur parore in chorus by Rudra Rhythm Kala kendra –the group sang the song in four languages including Bengali, Assamese, Hindi and English. The team Swaralipi dished out kahua bon Axokhya janore.Apart from this, Utpal Dutta, Santanu Roychoudhury et al sang.

It was indeed a smart anchoring done jointly by Debashish Bhattacharjee and Runumi Sharma. Above and all, it was Dr, Prasanta Chakraborty whose role demands a big mention— his elegant pacing on the stage and off it, speaking this and that added to the programme an extra oomph.
Besides, felicitation was made to noted personalities, both in the arena of music and social services including Swapan Kumar Chakraborty, Khagen Chandra Das et al. Bidyut Chakraborty tendered thanks.

Finally, with the chorus –Manus manuser jonye, both in Assamse and Bengali, this absorbing cultural evening came to an end.