Some memories standout which reflect his genius,modesty, wit and affection that endeared him to all people across ages, beyond boundaries, transcending communities and religions.

Whenever Bhupenda came to Bholaguri, he had the habit of roaming around early in the morning among the tea bushes barefoot as he loved the feeling of the morning dew.Once instead of doing this, he sat down on the verandah in my father’s favourite armchair, asked my sister Bhomi to keep supplying him with cups of tea,took a piece of paper and started writing and humming along. A couple of hours later he asked us to sit around him and sang what he had written and composed. He was modest enough to accept my father’s suggestion to change the sequence of the stanzas of his new creation.That evening for the first time he sang the now immortal Aami Axomiya Nohou Dukhia at a public function in Gohpur.

On a visit to our home at Kolibari,Tezpur,while chatting with our aita (grandmother), my uncle late Satyabrata (Bhaiti) Agarwala’s then three–year-old sprightly second daughter was frequently distracting him by fleeting about the room only to pop out here and there to flash him a smile. Seeing her antics he said, “Aiee, from now on call her “Chikmik”.She is like Chikmik Bijulee flashing about here and there.”He then picked her up and laughing out loud declared – “Today I have caught a bolt of lightening –Dhorilu,dhorilu aaji chimik bijulee dhorilu.”

Again when he finished recording the songs of Maniram Dewan, he presented each one of us a then 78 rpm record of the songs from the film.However, what was touching was that he took the trouble to come and personally give us the songs of our choice duly addressed and signed to each by name.He also had the magnanimity to seek our opinion even though we were children. As if anyone can ever dislike a haunting melody like Buku hum hum korey! 

Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala dreamt about Assam and its culture being universally acknowledged and recognized. His dream has been fulfilled by Bhupen Hazarika. Sankardev established the Assamese race, Lakshminath Bezbarua gave them a language,Rupkonwar gave them their sanskriti/culture, and Bhupen Hazarika brought them onto the stage of the world.Thirty years ago India ended at Calcutta, now Kolkata.Today, not only India, but the whole world knows about Assam, the Bihu, the Xattriya dance and the North-east.This recognition and respect has been brought singlehandedly by Dr Bhupen Hazarika. That’s why his death has evoked such a spontaneous mass outpouring of grief breaking all social,political and economic barriers, which is actually also mingled with a feeling of gratitude for giving us our self-esteem in the eyes of the world. Assam,its people and the North-east will forever remain indebted to the maestro for what he has done.We can now only bow in homage to this great son of the soil and while praying for the eternal peace of his departed soul, repay him by pledging to keep alive his legacy.