Basanta Baruah
(baruahbasanta14@gmail.com)
It’s time for Rongali Bihu, the festival of mirth and merriment. Bihu is not just a festival for the Assamese, it’s an emotion. It’s the root of Assamese culture, and it’s the mirror of Assamese culture. Hence, it is the national festival of Assam.
All three Bihus, whether it’s Rongali, Bhogali, or Kati Bihu, have unique features and are very special for the Assamese. But still, when it comes to Rongali, it makes everyone jubilant. Forgetting all the stress, all the anxieties, and all the narrow-mindedness, people become jubilant and thrilled. It not only makes us happy, but it also strengthens the rope of unity at the same time. The name “Rongali” itself signifies the importance and uniqueness of RongaliBihu.
It’s obvious that, with the passage of time, the scenario of RongaliBihu has also changed to a great extent. Not in ancient times; even if we look back at the scenario of RongaliBihu just two decades ago, we obviously find a vast difference between the Bihu of two decades ago and that of today.
There was a time when people of the village assembled and sang Huchori in our homes during RongaliBihu. It is believed that the blessings we receive through Huchori make our lives happy and peaceful for the whole year. So, welcoming the village Huchorigroup was considered to be a matter of great fortune for the people of the village. In the same way, it was seen that funds raised through Huchori were utilized for the development of the village. Sometimes it was used for the building of village public property, and sometimes it was used for the repair of the same. It is indeed a great work, and so all the people of the village were involved spontaneously in this noble process. It tightened the rope of unity at the same time. It was seen that even kids also assembled during Bihu days and sang Huchori in the locality for a week or two. At the end, they organized community feast, and from the surplus, they bought playing tools, musical instruments, etc. In fact, a good habit is formed and a kind of unity is developed among the kids and even among their parents through this.
But today, very few kids are allowed to perform Huchori during Bihu days. Even some kids don’t know that there is a tradition of singing Huchori in RongaliBihu. They have just bookish knowledge that Bihu is our national festival. They are unaware of the unique features of Rongali, Bhogali, and Kati. It is not only the kids, even the youths and seniors of the village are hardly seen singing Huchori these days. People are so busy in the materialistic world that they have no time for culture and tradition. People have time to go outside the state or outside the country for holiday trips, but there is no time for Bihu celebrations in their own places. In the same way, most of the youths prefer to spend the whole day gossiping, or they will go for a bike ride instead of singing huchori. Kids are given mobile phones to play video games or enjoy cartoons on YouTube instead of sending them outside to take part in this community activity. It’s truly unfortunate that today very few Assamese have emotions for Bihu. The thrilling sounds of Dhul, Pepa, andGogonaare hardly heard in our villages these days, which earlier thrilled the entire state in the later part of the Assamese month of “Chot.” Chira, Pitha, Xandoh, Muri, TilorLaru, SungaChaul, and Sunga Pithaare all gradually missing from our villages. Very few of the new generation know about Dighloti, Makhioti, and ToraPoghaand their uses. Dheki is not found in most of the villages. In fact, the equipment, instruments, food stuffs, customs, and traditions, all of which exhibit the uniqueness of Assamese culture, seem to be going out of fashion day by day for the new generation.
It seems that today,huchori is alive only because of the Bihu workshops. The thrilling sounds of dhul, pepa, andgogona are heard only in the Bihu workshops. Whatever it is or how one takes it, it must be said that today, throughout the state, the environment of Bihu is brought about by these Bihu workshops. It seems that if there is no workshop, the new generation will not be familiar with Bihu, Huchori, Dhul, Pepa, Bahi, etc. On the other hand, parents also take their children to the Bihu workshop and want to make them ready for the stage programme. Because it is also seen that Bihu is performed only on the stage today. Bihu or Huchori, which make every Assamese jubilant, which come spontaneously from our inside and flow through the veins of every Assamese, is rarely found in our villages these days. It’s truly unfortunate.
It’s upsetting that today we, the Assamese, are divided into many groups. We can’t stand under the same roof. In the name of religion, in the name of caste, community, customs, and finally, in the name of politics, we are divided. Even in the same village, we can’t unite for huchori; we can’t sit together for the Uruka feast in MaghBihu. Isn’t it a matter of concern for us? If the trend continues and this narrow-mindedness is not removed, is it possible to accelerate towards the greater Assamese nation-building process? This is indeed a great question! We have thousands of associations organizations on paper to safeguard the nation. But in reality, it seems that very few of these concentrate on the real issues.
The Assamese must keep in mind that Bihu is not just a festival for the Assamese. It’s our emotion; it’s our identity. In fact, it’s the lifeline of Assamese culture. It’s true that we, the Assamese people, may have different political ideologies, different religious beliefs, or different customs, but when Bihu comes, we must be united, forgetting all the narrow-mindedness. We must become true Assamese and celebrate it with a true heart. It’s time for RongaliBihu, and it’s indeed the ripe time for every Assamese to exhibit our unity. The thrilling sound ofdhul has such magic that it can bring every Assamese closer. It has the ability to strengthen the rope of Assamese unity. Just feel the emotion; just feel the thrill. Be a real Assamese and celebrate it with an open heart. Let’s celebrate this RongaliBihu with mirth and merriment and revive our unity. Let’s start the greater Assamese nation-building process once again. Don’t forget that we are Assamese, and we are a cultured nation.