Letters to the Editor: Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha

Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha

Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, more often referred to as Kalaguru—the doyen of Assamese literature—made various contributions to the development of Assamese culture and tradition. Originally, he was born into a Boro family but was raised in a Rabha family, due to which he adopted the title of Rabha. He was not only a poet but a good businessman as well as a good football player. He is often placed in the position next to Sankardeva. Bishnu Prasad Rabha was born on January 31, 1909, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and passed away in 1969 in Tezpur, Assam. The Assamese people generally call him Kalaguru, and Marxists refer to him as 'Sainik Xilpi' for his active participation in the armed struggle led by the revolutionary Communist Party of India. His mother's name was Gethi Mech, and his father's name was Rai Bahadur Gopal Chandra Musahary. He was employed as a policeman under the British regime. Bishnu Rabha attended Tezpur Government High School for his schooling and, after that, went to Kolkata to pursue higher education. He completed his ISC exam at St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College. From an early stage, he played an important role in India's independence struggle.

The level of influence exerted by Kalaguru is amazing because he was the first person to design the portrait of Sankardeva. He learned the Borgeet of Srimanta Sankardeva and gave the genre a new significance for modern times. He used to perform drama at one of the oldest stages of Assam, i.e., Baan Theatre, and was a renowned actor in the Assamese film industry. He had also made various compositions, some of which are  'para jonomor xubho logonot, logon ukali gol', 'roi roi keteki' and various others. He also translated the famous song 'Internationale' by Eugiene Pottier into Assamese. His paintings are still preserved at his residence in Tezpur.

Manish Kashyap

Tezpur

Five-star hotel projects in Kaziranga

Kaziranga National Park is embroiled in a controversy regarding the proposed construction of three five-star hotels within its boundaries. Reports are that two of these hotels are owned by the Taj group and one by the Hyatt group. These hotels come within an important elephant corridor, which would not only disrupt the crucial elephant habitat but also disturb the natural movement of elephants, leading to man-animal conflict. There was also news that these projects do not have the required environmental clearances to construct these facilities in such an eco-sensitive area. There are many facilities in and around Kaziranga. Also, it is a 2-hour drive from Tezpur, which is a major town, so there is no need for five-star facilities in Kaziranga, as people who come to enjoy the wild rarely look for luxury. So, it would be smart to stall these projects or relocate them away from animal habitats to prevent any man-animal conflict in the future. The animals are not there to provide a view from the swanky rooms of a five-star facility!

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

‘Pothorughate Ringiaai’

In an effort to promote and publicize the glorious episode associated with the peasants' uprising of Pothorughat on January 28, 1894, in Darrang, an Assamese television serial titled 'Pothorughate Ringiaai', consisting of thirteen episodes, by Debesh Sarma, based on his play 'Pothorughatar Krishak Bidyoh-1894', was broadcast by Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati, from November 1991 to February 1992. The serial, which was directed by Rajen Rajkhowa and produced by Jagannath Sarma under the banner of J.S. Productions, Guwahati, is about the eruption of a democratic protest by the unarmed peasants of both Hindu and Muslim communities against the imposition of increased land revenue by the colonial British. As many as 140 innocent peasants lost their lives on the spot, and several others were injured when the British Military Police opened indiscriminate fire on them. The serial is highly appreciated for its portrayal of the sacrifices, valour, and communal harmony displayed by the Pothorughat bravehearts. The title song of the serial titled "O' xuna bhai, xuna bandhu Pothorughatar Kotha', penned by eminent lyricist Keshab Mahanta and given voices by artistes like Manjyotsna Mahanta, Dilip Das, Aparajita Gogoi, and Maitreyee Das, with music direction by Prabhat Sarma, has been an evergreen number. The use of some of the Darrangi performing art forms is an important aspect of the serial.

Dheeraj Deka,

Dighirpar, Darrang