Guwahati: Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, today conferred the Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika National Awards at a ceremony organised by Sarhad Pune in Guwahati. The event celebrated the Northeast’s artistic heritage and India’s cultural diversity, followed by Scindia’s address at the Nanhi Chhaan 12th National Essay Contest, where he emphasised the transformative role of women and youth in building a Viksit Bharat.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Scindia paid rich tributes to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, describing him as “a poet, musician, and voice of the nation whose work wove together art, empathy, and unity.” He said that conferring awards in Hazarika’s name was not merely an honour to an individual but to “an era of cultural synthesis that continues to inspire India.”
Six eminent personalities from the Northeast were honoured for their contributions to literature, music, cinema, and scholarship — Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi (Arunachal Pradesh), Laishram Mema (Manipur), Rajni Basumatary (Assam), L.R. Sailo (Mizoram), Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika (Assam) and Prof. David R. Syiemlieh (Meghalaya).
Recalling his deep personal connection with the region, Scindia reflected on Bhupen Da’s enduring influence, calling him a “bridge between my janmabhoomi Mumbai and his karmabhoomi Assam.” He noted how Hazarika’s melodies continue to resonate across India, “turning pain into poetry and loss into light.”
The Minister shared his family’s historical association with the Northeast, recalling how his grandfather, Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia, had established the Assam Relief Fund after the devastating 1950 earthquake that shook Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. “The resilience of Bhupen Da’s music reminds us that even in sorrow, there is song; that the human spirit, like the Brahmaputra, always finds its course again,” he said.
Scindia also pointed to the Bhupen Hazarika Setu as a living symbol of Hazarika’s vision of unity, connection, and progress. He lauded Sarhad Pune and its founder Sanjay Nahar for their decades-long contribution to national integration, including initiatives such as the Sarhad Music platform, the Bhupen Hazarika Music Studio, and a hostel for girls from the Northeast.
Later, addressing the Nanhi Chhaan National Essay Contest, which saw participation from over 50,000 students nationwide, Scindia interacted with the winners and praised their clarity of thought, compassion, and patriotic spirit. He lauded the Nanhi Chhaan Foundation for its work in women’s empowerment, environmental protection, and interfaith harmony.
Reflecting on the contest’s theme, “The Force of Viksit Bharat,” Scindia said India’s future rests on the “confidence, compassion, and curiosity of its youth.” He invoked Assam’s freedom heroine Kanaklata Barua, saying that courage and conviction know no gender or age.
“The true strength of a Viksit Bharat will emerge when our daughters see themselves not as bystanders, but as architects of change,” he declared. “When women’s empathy and resilience combine with youthful innovation and energy, India’s march toward a developed nation becomes unstoppable.”