Tez Hazarika, Bhupen Hazarika’s son, has informed from the United States of America, his country of residence, that ‘Xudakantha’ Bhupen Hazarika’s family has decided to repudiate Xudakantha’s ‘Bharat Ratna’. India’s highest honor, the Bharat Ratna, was conferred to the late maestro on the eve of Republic Day this year by the Government of India.
There have been allegations that the decision to confer the honor to the icon was a political move by the BJP administration to placate the masses seething over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
At a recent BJP rally held at Changsari near Guwahati, BJP stalwarts such as Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal as well as Prime Minister brought up Hazarika’s ‘Bharat Hazarika’ as the BJP’s ‘boon’ to the people of Northeast, while at the same time suggesting that the people should let the Bill pass because of this perceived charity’ of the Government.