JOY OF FLYING

Journey on an airplane is not new to me, though I have not been a frequent flier. I flew for the first time on a small propeller plane carrying about 15 people in its tubular metallic hold way back in1975 or 1976. The plane lifted off from an obscure corner of Calcutta airport at the crack of dawn and landed at Guwahati an hour or so later just as the first rays of the Sun was touching the tree tops. Never will I forget that thrill of being airborne for the first time. The leap of faith as the wheels left the ground and the tilted surface of the runway started to recede, the involuntary clutching at the seat when the plane sharply banked- the feeling that I may fall off - fully knowing that I was safe inside the hull and the sudden loss of gravity when the tiny plane fell through a hole of an air-pocket - a strange feeling in the stomach as I was under zero gravity for may be two or three seconds but what appeared to be ages before the plane crashed back with hard jarring bump and shuddering noise into normal air, are all still fresh in my memory.  Those days are gone now, except for those few who may be taking a course in flying or gliding. The fear mingled joy of flying, when the wings and the pilot, both could feel and react to every naughty unpredictable activity of the air around the plane and when the propellers had to gasp for breath at every large air-pocket, is something no passenger or pilot of a modern-day gigantic commercial jet will ever feel. I feel very lucky to have had this one little experience and glimpse of an age when flying was a joy and an adventure; when a pilot was a hero in the eyes of adolescents like us.

As the plane neared Guwahati airport, it flew low, very low. Small villages of thatched houses, set amongst the pristine beauty of far extending water soaked green rice fields, flashed passed my window seat.  The villages were clusters of deeper darker green of bamboo groves, mango beetle-nut and coconut trees, banana plants and tiny vegetable plots. They indicated a life style of little wants and greater satisfaction that our rural Assam once was. A woman was sweeping her courtyard in that typical style we all know with a bamboo broom. For a moment she stopped, cupped her eyes and looked at our plane. I thought she was young, comely, as our Assamese village girls are. Men carrying a plough on their shoulder were walking with their bullocks for tilling their rice fields. It was the scene of early morning villages arising from sleep into well rehearsed age old daily activity. But the beauty of a scene that I will never forget- like a song of Biren Dutta or a poem of Nabakanta Barua - is that of a string of spotlessly white cranes flying across the face of the green rice fields. Alas I can write only this little sentence to describe its beauty. I wished the plane would linger for a while for me to watch, but it flew on like an arrow of Time, oblivious of human emotions or sense of beauty.

Arrow of time has continued its flight since eternity all through these last 38 years and shall continue to fly into eternity. But across those freshly grown soft green rice fields, the string of cranes continue to fly-on till today, towards some undisclosed destination. They live on defying time.

(I was thinking of writing about my journey on a high flying modern commercial jet, but my fingers typed away something else. I think I might have written about it sometimes in the past too, though I do notr clearly remember.)

FUSION POWER AND FUTURE OF HUMANS

When I was in college/university our professors thought that in another 50 years we shall be able to harness Fusion Power. But we may have to wait another 30 years at the least. It is so difficult to contain the plasma and to extract its energy that man's ingenuity is tested to the extreme. It is wonder for us that scientists now have the confidence to finally undertake construction of a prototype reactor that will generate 500mw of power. I think that it may take another 60 to 100 tears to really master the technology or may be even more. But right now practically limitless amounts of the same fusion generated energy is passing us unharnessed from the natural Fusion Furnace of our Sun. We should do everything to harness this solar energy right now and save the world from CO2 green house heating.

Fusion reactors will find their full utility, when man start to send their spacecrafts far out towards the stars or start to live and/or travel in space based colonies, even far away from the sun. Their Fusion Reactors will be their captive suns. It is certain that once man has a safe technology and building abilities to start large space based artificial habitats, his adventurousness, his inquisitiveness and his everlasting urge for trying to do the impossible, will lead him into the journey of the stars; of the outer spaces. It is not at all an outrageous idea as it may seem; the idea that he may travel far away from the light and gravitational binding on a Sun. 

At the first glance it appears to be extremely unsafe, the idea of going into the eternal darkness of space, with only the star studded blackness all around. But in actual our life on earth is not very different. Here too we are on an unknown lonely planet, alone, surrounded by limitless darkness and dangers. They too on their space habitat will have centrifugal gravity, light and energy of their own captive fusion sun. They will have all the resources they need with them. Their loneliness in space will be same as ours. Instead they will have many more advantages.  No earthquakes, floods, typhoons to face. No danger of falling asteroids, no dangers from a overheated sun. Moreover unlike us they will not be bound to remain in a captive elliptical path around a sun. They will be free to go wherever they want; able to change their direction and destination. Every few hundred years, they can approach a new sun and spend some time in a new alien environment; no end to excitement and adventure.  As their technology advances, there are limitless things that they can do. They will be a breed of humans fully adapted to such lives. What a beautiful life that will be.

Apart from man’s adventurous attitude for trying to undertake the impossible, there could also be other compelling reasons that may force man to leave this planet or this solar system in the future.  The dangers that may compel humans to flee, which right now come to my mind could be such as: 1. An unforeseen instability of the Sun. 2. A likely supernova explosion on a near by star. 3. The disturbance caused to the planets, asteroid belts, the kuiper belt or the hypothesized oort cloud by the approach of an unseen drifting dead star 4.The emergence of a destructive breed of humans on earth, where the survival of our line of thought is becoming impossible to survive. 5. Accidental Radioactive contamination of the whole environment. 6.The attack of an incurable virus of unknown source. 7. Attack by some alien civilization.  8. Emergence of new philosophy that compel humans to leave the sanctuary of a solar system and move out into space. Etc. There can obviously many more possible reasons that right now could be eluding me.

Here I am not talking of the natural Death of our Sun as one of the reason, because it is too far away in time to be considered as part of human existence. It is for sure that man will NOT live that long in his present shape. They will technologically mutate far before that and in fact they may even decide to change the reality of the universe long before that. I don’t think that there is any mistake in my line of thinking. But the greatest factor that I have left out to faith, hope and luck is the fact that all species in this probabilistic Universe however intelligent are prone to extinction from various expected and unexpected dangers; his own intelligence itself also being part of these dangers. 

I am an advocate of doom when I see it coming, but I am also the greatest optimist. I am sure that a defiant, fearless, gutsy, sensible breed of adventurous inquisitive humans will survive and spread their intelligence far and wide in the outer spaces and Fusion Power is going to accompany him, wherever he ventures.

The Fire Rages On

 (Something I wrote at the beginning of Spring last year, while staying in Calcutta)

 Winter had taken away every trace of green and the bony hands of bare branches thirstily stretched up towards the deceptive promise of a blue sky above. The little orchard had gone dry and dusty, except for the hardy jack fruit tree that stood at one corner with its thick skinned green leaves. Little whirling spools of dust roamed on the ground with impish delight, in the company of cavorting dry leaves.

That was a couple of months back, before the 'Koel" announced the arrival of spring and triggered a genetic wonder with its crystal-sweet awakening call. A few whimsical showers meandering across the narrow lanes and jammed roof-tops, played their supporting role. The songstress has since retired to her cool sub-Himalayan recess, having slipped in her ash-gray spotted eggs into the nest of the unsuspecting surrogate mother-crow.

In the last two months, the orchard has gone through a magical transformation. The romantic, frivolous mood of early spring has given way to responsible sure footsteps of productive youth.The trees and bushes are now leaden heavy with fruits and the air is fragrant with the smell of their flowers.A recent welcome shower has left a sheen of lustrous green on the plentiful cover. Butterflies in all colours and patterns flitter among the lush undergrowth. Bees, hornets, spiders, cicadas, marching files of ants and a hundred other denizen, that keep nature's food chain working; are all flourishing in their rightful niche. In the light afternoon breeze, the swaying branches and dancing twigs, instill a sense of joy and well being, to the passer by. No one would suspect that only the other day, spectre of hunger and famine loomed there.

As I sit at my window and savour the green, nature opens for me the door to her wonders. I hear the silent soothing strain of nature's music, that surge and ebb  in rhythm with the changing seasons. Soft, sure, unhurried, it flows on, never missing a beat; rekindling life and aroma millions of year old. The little orchard leads the timeless, ageless life of nature; yet never stagnant, never static- always evolving, always new. In contrast we humans outside the four walls of the orchard, lead frenzied lives, with frayed nerves and dazed minds. We have cut the umbilical cord that connected us to mother earth and are now futilely searching with inflamed brains, for the lost rhythm in the plenty of a material world.

After Thought:
The orchard beckons me back to nature. Oh! how I wish to douse the fire in my inflamed brain, and put myself to sleep in nature's lullaby.
Yet I hold back from yielding and close my eyes to search inside. No, I am unable to douse this flame. For this fire is kindled by our curiosity, our thirst for knowledge and understanding; to make the unknown known and to find our place in the cosmos. The light from this flame is a beacon, in our search for an all encompassing Cosmic Rhythm, of which the rhythm in my orchard is but a single musical note. I have no idea if that celestial rhythm will ever reveal itself to us; but only with it shall I be able to decipher the music of my little orchard, which I can enjoy, yet not fully understand.

NATURE OF THE UNIVERSE AND ITS CONSCIOUSNESS

Why at all does The Universe exist? Why not Non-existence ? Why is there preference for Existence? To such questions, the only fundamental reason that appeals to me is that, 'Non-Existence is an impossibility.' It is a 'non state' that cannot exist. If all of existence vanishes, there will be no Space and no Matter/Energy; also no Time. Along with this all consciousness also will vanish. The true 'non-stste' of 'Non-Existence' is inconceivable. It only requires some quiet contemplation with a little emagination. All those who tried to think of such a possibility, which I too tried; have seen their path leading them to a Sanatorium. For it is a concept inconceivable and incomprehensible to the human mind. A conscious entity like the human brain, cannot cope with this line of thought, where even Consciousness is  not there. I welcome all to try this out, in a mental excercise, to think of a state where both Space and Consciousness vanishes. To say the least, it is a thoroughly disconcerting experience. I was saved from the Sanatorium, by an article of a Russian scientist, many years back, which gave this simple yet profound explanation; that Non-Existene is an impossibility and thererfore Existence is perpetual. It was always there and it will always be there.

But this leads to another unacceptable concept- Eternity. By whatever yard stick you measure, Eternity is again an unacceptable concept: All this activity going on and on and on ad-infinitum. Human reason-based mind, again reject such an existence. Here too a little mental imagination is helpful in realising the impossibility of Eternity. Infinity as a mathematical limiting concept is fine, but not as part of reality. A compromise solution and the only one possible is an Cyclic Universe. An Universe that has a birth, a finite life span and a death. Only that the death is not a true death, it is an act of regeneration. The end of the old Universe coincides with birth of a new one; an universe with different laws than the earlier one. A completely new one, without any memory of the past, but connected only through a Consciousness - 'Chetana'. Chetana or Chaitanya in sanskrit is the 'ability to be aware of one's own existence'. In this cyclic form, Universe is Finite and yet is Eternal. Such a cyclic Universe satisfies both our above problems of impossibility; namely the State of Non-Existence and the concept of Eternity. Its like the hand of a watch, which comes round in 12 hours and the end point of 12 hours is also the beginning of the next cycle of 12 hours; there is no discontinuity. Since each Universe is a completely new one, our senses are not revulsed by the requirement of living on and on ad infinitum under the same rules, in an ifinite stretch of life span.

 But is there any way to reason that the Universe is in-fact a Conscious entity. Let me try as under. Today's science avoids this question. Let us try to play a reason game to see if we can arrive at any conclusion.

Space cannot exist alone without time. All objects that give meaning to space has to be animate ie have some movement ie some amount of energy.   But all movements, whether it is inside the atoms and nucleus in the very construct of matter or  in kinetic bodies (physically moving bodies) or in the form of radiation; all are dependent on Time. Because movement is 'Change of Place with Time.' All movement takes place as much in Time as in Space. That is why Einstein also states that Space and Time do not have separate existence, there is only Space-Time; one entity.
Also a hypothetical body, which do not posess any kind of movement/energy, whether internal or external (body movement), cannot announce its presence, because it cannot send any information. So for sending any information by a body and telling the rest of Existence that it exists; it needs both Time and Movement (energy). Which means an Inanimate body cannot form part of Existence. So we see that Space and Time must come into existence simultaneously, in the making of the Universe and all bodies have to be animate.

Along with Space and Time, the presence Matter/Energy too is necessary to give meaning to the universe. Space-Time can become alive, only with presence of some kind of Energy- Radiation or Matter.( as I have already said above). A Universe of only Space-Time, again do not carry meaning unless it gets populated by some body or radiation, which can utilise Space-Time and give it form. It is animated matter and radiation, that gives life to the Universe.

Therefore Space, Time and Energy, all three must come into existence simultaneously in the making of the Universe. They are not independent of each other. The present accepted concept of the Universes's birth, also adheres to this requirement.

Now let us go one step further.  Let all of Universe come to existence with all its splendour and the beauty of its interlocking natural laws. Universe is that entity that encompasses all existence and there is no outside to it. We can only conceive the boundary of the Universe to lie where 'Time' comes to Zero. It is not a physical boundary in space. Now this body (the Universe) as a whole entity, has no other body to tell about its own existence. Therefore it cannot register its existence or presence.  A body which cannot register its presence anywhere is the same as Non-Existence. Such an hypothetical Universe do not make any qualitative difference to the impossible state of 'Non-Eistence'; unless it has some means to declare its presence and come into existence.
A ray of light emitted by a body may move all its life without interacting; but at the moment of its emmission it interacted with the emiting body and thus has already registered its existence. Therefore even though it is moving witout interacting all through the life of the universe, it still exists. By contrast the Universe has no other body from which it could have similarly come to existence. It is all of existence by itself. So only way the Universe can register its presence, is by means of recognition by an Cognitive presence (consciousness), within itself.

Such a line of thinking leads us to the conclusion that the Universe is an conscious entity itself. An entity which is conscious about its own existence. Therefore apart from the three components of Matter-Space-Energy, a fouth component is also necessary as an integral part of the Universe, which is 'Consciousness'. So to satisfy our logical-reasoning, the Universe has be alleast a Four-Component entity; the fourth one being, Consciousness.

[Cognitive life like us, who can recognise the presence of surrounding environment/the Universe, came much later. It took billions of years for the first conscious life to emerge, who has the power to recognise the existence of the universe. If we reason we will realise that our consciousness is not independent; it is merely an active arm of the 'All Pervading Consciousness of the Universe.' 

At the moment of regeneration from the old universe into a completely new universe, it is only this Consciousness that remains. It is this consciousness that creates barrier between Existence and Non-Existence, even when the other dimensions of Space, Energy and Time conceivably come to Zero at that crossing point. These three dimensions have to come to Zero- only then the memory of the old universe can be completely erased; which is the requirement for having a completely new-universe. It is only Consciousness, which we may call 'Cosmic Consciousnes', that is indistructible.
I also reason, that we cannot have anything in our making, which is already not there in nature in some basic form. It is this Cosmic Consciousness from which our own consciousness and intelligence has emerged. We are not seperate from this consciousness; we are part of this cosmic-consciousness only. I conceive Cosmic Consciousnessis as to be a Latent State and our Consciousness as the Active state, that has grown out of it. We are integral part of the Cosmic Consciousness, and not separate entities from it, even though we like to think so. [This is what is called 'Brahmatma or Paramatma' by our ancient Vedas; the books of Science not of Religion. When we die our consciousness merges with the Universal Consciousness, loosing its temporary active existence.]

If anyone has cared to read this this far, I request then to share their own thoughts and comment upon it. I accept the possibility of being called a Mad-Cap.



LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE

It greatly annoys me to read questions like: "Are we alone in the Universe?" or "Is there someone out there?". To me there is no place for questions at all, life and intelligence are for me funamental component of the universe.

The start of the journey for evolution of life and Intelligence starts much before the large organic molecular were formed; the journey of evolution starts at the very beginning, where atoms come together to form molecules. The progressive formation of bigger and bigger molecules and then getting imbubed with property of life, the development from virus to bactreria to more complex life forms and imergence of higher level of Intelligence is part of the same journey. In fact the seed of life and intelligence is inherent in the property of the Universe itself, right from its inception* (*if ever there was a biginning to the universe). To make it like a scintific statement I can say, that there is an underlying Vector in all the workings of Nature, pointing towards creation and development of Intelligence. Nature's activity is not random, but it is Vectored to generate life and Intelligence. There exists a "Latent Intelligent Consciousness" in the fabric of Nature, which is being converted into 'Active Intelligence' all over the Univerese. It is interesting to note that if we replace the word 'God' with 'Nature', then the proclamation from religious books that "God created man in its own shape.', takes the form 'Nature Created Intelligene with its own essence.'

The Universe is vast beyond our ability of normal comprehension. There are millions of galaxies already detected by space telescopes, extending upto 13.5 billion light years. Each galaxy on the average has hundreads of billions of stars. But all this vastness is composed of the same building blocks of less than 100 stable elements. All this vastness is governed by the same physical laws; such as Graity, Quantum nature, Space-time duality, upper limit of speed, electro-magnetic waves and flow of ectrons as mode of enery trafer etc. Whatever is taking place in the universe are taking shape under the influence of these same forces. Our Sun and our planets are one of many billions of similar systems. There is nothing special about us. It is inconceivable that the same forces of nature under similar environments existing in billions and billions of similar planetary systems will create life and Intelligence in only one of them. In experiments conducted in laboratories on artificialy created early earth environments of 4 billion years ago, readily produced myriad of large molecules, which are building blocks of life on earth. Thus such molecules and subsequent life forms have definitely emerged in billions of planets and larger moons all over the universe including in our own galaxy. Even if we leave out leave out 99.99% of planets to have hostile environments for life, still we will have billions of them where life can emerge and prosper to varying degrees.

Anyone who is a keen observer of nature, will see that nature does things at an grand scale, so that there is maximum probability of success. Look at our earth, where millions of life forms have emerged and died, taking different paths, so that even as numerous species die out all the time, life and Intelligence has maximum chance for survival.Earth is one of those luckier experiments, where Life has survived over billions of years, overcoming hostile periods and environments to reach the level of intelligence as of Humans, who can now theorise about the Universe and aspire to reach out to its origin. Lookong to the large number of possible negative factors that can extinguish life from a planetary environment, such examples as of our earth is bound to be very few. But starting with billions of life bearing planets, even this miniscule number must be quiet large. Thare is no question that we couls be alone. As Einstein once remarked, we can also say, Nature do not play dice. Universe does things in such a way, that it leaves nothing to chance and ensures that emergence of Intelligence, which appears to be so vital to its own Life Cycle, do not fail. Universe is the mother and Intelligence is its child.

Few lines from each of a few songs of Bhupen Hazarika.

[ I have no literary or poetic ability. I do not wish in any way to disrespect the genius of Bhupen Hazarika. Even the best of Creative translators will not be able to convey the real meaning and sense of his songs in English or any other language. What I am during is only for my own satisfaction; a private affair, so that if anyone tumbles upon this page, he/she will just get a hint of the mental horizon of the genius. I am also not trying to keep the rhyme of the lyrics (except occasionally). I am only trying to give the meaning in prose and that too with my very limited ability of the English as well as Assamese language.]

1.   (Kahuwa bon mor ashanta mon……)

Each moment is like a precious pearl,

Every moment is like a pregnant vow,

Wasted unused- it never comes back.

(O my troubled heart, why do you fret-

Tomorrow’s sun will bring you a new morning.)

Immersed in early-morn dream (beautiful dream)

I did not see that moment pass by.

The noise of activity in the endless sea of time,

Has woken me up.

[There are so many pleasures of life distracting us in our youth, yet these few moments of Life and Consciousness, in the silent sea of Eternal Time, is precious beyond any measure.]

2.         (Manuhe manuhar babe, jadihe akako nebhabe…..)

            If man do not think for man,

            Who will think for him?

            Tell me my friend.

If the weak crosses the turbulent waters of life,

holding your hand

What will you loose my friend.

Man wants to purchase man,

Man wants to sell man,

If old history is repeated

Will that not be wrong?

If man do not remain Human,

Demons will never become Human.

If Demons do become Human

Who will be ashamed!

Tell me my friend.

3.         (Chira jugomiya dhou tuli, dhou tuli, chira natun pansoi uti jai…)

            Raising everlasting waves

            The forever new ‘Pansoi’ floats by. (Pansoi is a beautiful decorated boat)

            Raising shimmering waves,

Drawing ever new background scenes-

In the river if time, it goes floating by.

O the composer within me,

come and see- there are boundless tunes here.

O the lyricist within me,

Come and see- giving away its heart, who goes there.

Raising shimmering waves,

The ‘Pansoi’ of lotus tunes floats by,

Whose atomised pollinating hopes-

are today floating high?

In the up-floating waters,

In its loving currents,

‘Chitralekhi’ writes history of the times

Using the quill of the ‘Ever Beautiful’.

O the composer within me, come, come and sing

There are boundless tunes here

Raising everlasting waves-

The ‘Pansoi’ of new tunes floats by.

[This was when the young Bhupen Hazarika’s heart was filled with boundless beautiful music. Only some of these possibilities have come to life in his songs.]

4.         (Sagor sangamat katona saturilo, tathapito howa nai klanta…)

            I have swum at the meeting place of oceans so long. (thoughts, cultures)

            Yet I am not tired,

            Still the waters of the pacific of my heart,

            Continue to remain disturbed.

In the bosom of the Pacific of my heart,

there is no end to surging tides today,

Endless trains of waves are bringing in hope       unlimited,

Everyday.

The faith of the deep peaceful ocean of my heart

is getting disturbed by tidal waves.

The creations of great lives along the shores of the Pacific

are under attack.

Therefore the pacific of my heart is restless today.

           

The new demonic forces are trying to destroy civilisation’

Yet the indomitable sprit of peace loving human is giving it challenge.

The peace-force of innumerable creative alive humans

Has given clash to the forces of destruction.

This clash brings to the shores of my pacific

Progress and prosperity’s new horizon.

            I have swam at the meeting place of oceans for so long,

            Yet I am not tired.

 [He wrote this on a ship just after the  Second World War, returning from the USA]

5.         [Nila garal piya, moi nilakantha, tomak bhulaboloi kiman no par. … )

You are a serpent (female), a venomous serpent,

            How long will it take me to charm you?

You are blue poison,

I am Nilakantha (the God who drinks poison)

I am a roving magician

Do not come near me.

Where sun rays cannot penetrate,

Where heart cringes with the centuries old darkness,

I broke open such jungles and entered caves,

I have subjugated so many serpents in so many lands

How long will it take to win you?

[In his youth, with the supreme confidence of the young man.]

6.         (Asta akashote sapon rahan sani, klanta luitare hengulia pani, boi jai, boi jai…..)

            Who is that Shilpi (creative artist), who goes riding his boat of lotus flowers,

            Colouring the waters with the hues of the peacock plumes?

            O Shilpi, if reaching the horizon of beauty is what you desire,

Take your boat to the river bank once,

            You will see the limitless horizon of human life.

            The sun is setting, time is short, time is short………

[To those artists, who seeks abstract beauty, forgetting that real beauty lies with the hopes, and aspirations of the suffering humanity.]

7.         [Boidha ki, aboidha ki, prasna haba..]

What is ethical, what is unethical?

            Question will arise.

            The sky will sleep, the wind shall sleep,

            The horizon will shake,

Time will stands still,

Tears will turn to stone,

Time shall sleep.

If it is a misdeed, why is there desire,

If…….   is bad then, why is there music,

If……. is bad, then why is there ‘pain of separation’

Who will answer these questions?

[For the young mother whose child society calls illegitimate and she is discarded by society.]

8.         (Bistirna parare, asongkhya janore, hahakaar sunio…)

If the individual is ‘self-centered’

and society is without character

Aged river Luit! why don’t you break down (Luit=Brahmaputra)

such a stagnating society.

O Brahamaputra, if you are son of Brahma

Your lineage is meaningless,

Why else you not inspire us!

With the knowledge gained from your mad rush of thousand rainy seasons

Why don’t you covert this listless society

Into an army of progressive strong fighters.

[This song is inspired by Paul Robeson’s song ‘Old man River…’ and is set to the same tune. The scene of the subject has been transposed from the story of the Black people of America to the people of the Brahmaputra valley.]

9.         (Moi ati zazabor, …        )

I am a zazabor (gypsy),

I roam all corners of the wide world.

I do not seek a home of my own.

I carried the old charm of Ellora to Chicago,

I listened to Ghalib’s poetry at Tashkent Minaret,

I talked of Gorky sitting at the cemetery of Mark Twain

I find people on my route becoming my own

Again and again.

Therefore I am a Zazabor.

10.       (Moi ai matire lora, hoisilo oghori matir moh ari…)

            I am the son of this land,

            Left my home forgetting the love of my lands,

            Played comic part in theatres.

            O Mother, I am making a vow now,

            To the land burnt ochre by the fire of famine

            I will bring back its green luster.

[For the young men in villages, who saw rosier life and income in towns and cities, but was never happy away from their land.]

11.       (Prasonda dhumuhai prasna korile mok, tomar kamya ki kowa..)

            O great Storm, give me your Strength

            O Thunder, give me your Fearless Strong Voice,

            O Sky, give me your Whole Expanse.

Storm gave me its Strength

Thunder gave me its Fearless Voice

The Cosmos gave me Far Sightedness.

And the Logic born of courage.

With their strength, I will sing and reverberate the horizon.

Even in the society of Demons, I shall sing the song of Humans,

Steeped in the true tune of my heart

That I can show the ‘Electric of Life’

To the clueless lost human, even so little,

            I offer my thanks to the sky, the Storm and the thunder.

And bow down before them a thousand times.

The world at large outside India and specifically outside Assam, in the North Eastern corner of India, do not really know the phenomenon named Bhupen Hazarika. Even for us it is difficult to answer that question, for we do not find words or language to describe the depth of emotion and love that is evoked in us by the very mention of his name. All his life he has been working for betterment of Assamese culture. By dint of his tireless expression of the hopes, aspirations, pain and neglect of all the myriad tribes and cultures inhabiting this small corner of the earth, he has become our identity, ambassador to the world and our rightful pride. Bhupen Hazarika had this great ability to connect direct into the hearts of all people, even though he mainly sang in his native Assamese and the neighboring language Bengali; which is a sister culture. He could also sing in the particular dialects of a many tribes of the Brahmaputra Valley and the hilly Arunachal Pradesh, when he was amongst them.

He was a composer, singer, lyricist and litterateur- each of highest standard and in equal measure. He was a true humanist, not recognizing any boundary between men and always fought against injustice, neglect, hypocrisy ridden social norms, insensitivity, political arrogance, for democracy and everything that we humans should value. He was a great lover of nature and beauty. His tunes emanate from his love for his motherland and all human beings. He was also a film maker, painter, social reformer. He also was music director and singer in number of Assamese, Bengali and Hindi films. There is a long list of prestigious honours conferred upon him, by Government, Film World, Non-Govt and Literary organizations, including International organizations. It is not possible to speak of all the different facets and talents, in a short space. I am not qualified for that too, with my limited knowledge.