Son of famous Assamese singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika has said that he will accept the Bharat Ratna on his father’s behalf. Hazarika confirmed that he had been invited by the Indian government for the same.
In a Facebook post on 11 February, Hazarika had said that his father's name and words are being invoked and celebrated publicly while plans are afoot to pass a "painfully unpopular" Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that is "actually undermining his documented position. It would in reality be in direct opposition to what Bupenda [sic] believed in his heart of hearts."
He now says that his views were ‘misinterpreted’.
In a statement Hazarika said:
“Although I have lived abroad most of my life, my Indian roots have been strong all along as not only was I born in India (so was my mother and my father and their parents), I have family in India. By upbringing, and through informed reflection I have always had the highest regard for the Indian Republic, its vast diversity and its noble institution of recognising its exceptional individuals from all backgrounds with civilian awards – the highest of them being the Bharat Ratna, recently announced for my father, the late Dr Bhupen Hazarika.”
He further added that “it is a tremendous honour, for me and my family to be invited by the GOI to accept the Bharat Ratna on behalf of my late father.”
The BJP-led NDA government had brought the Citizenship Amendment Bill to grant Indian citizenship to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It had triggered massive protests across the Northeast with many organisations and parties claiming that it would have a negative impact on the demography of the region.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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