All Assam Students' Union (AASU) forces closure of Big Bazar outlet in Jorhat

A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: All Assam Students' Union (AASU) activists on Friday forced the closure of Big Bazar "indefinitely" in protest against the retail chain outlet allegedly distorting a presentation of the Bihu dance at the mall complex on Thursday.

The student body's action came in the wake of a video going viral on social media showing a few girls dressed in full Bihu costume, dancing to Mahike Mage Hithe, the Sri Lankan song which has taken the internet by storm. The video led to widespread condemnation among social media users and several organizations, including AASU, for distorting the performance of Bihu, integral to Assam's culture.

Despite the manager and one of the dancers apologizing profusely for the "mistake" and for hurting the sentiments of the people, AASU demanded that top officials of the company tender a public apology over the incident. The manager told reporters that the girls had also performed a Bihu dance prior to the Singhalese number and that there was no time to change their clothes.

The dancer also said that it was a mistake and that they had apologized to the Assam Bihu Sanstha for the same. He further said that this was an entertainment programme put up by the employees of Big Bazar here and had nothing to do with the company.

The protestors shouted slogans against the retail giant, stating that the dance had hurt the self-esteem of the Assamese people and until the top officials came clear on the issue, the mall would not be allowed to open.

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