Maharashtra: Sarhad seeks Hazarika’s name for Mumbai-Guwahati Express
The letter said naming the train after Hazarika during his birth centenary year would be an appropriate recognition of his contribution: Reports
MUMBAI: To mark the birth centenary of Bhupen Hazarika, Pune-based organisation Sarhad has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to name the Mumbai-Guwahati Express after the legendary musician and singer. Hazarika served as an important cultural link between Mumbai and Guwahati and worked to strengthen connections between the Northeast and the rest of India, the organisation said.
In a letter written to the PM, Sanjay Nahar, Founder-President of Sarhad Pune, demanded that the train numbers 15647 and 15648 – connecting Mumbai and Guwahati – be named as ‘Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Express.’
“This year marks the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. Since 2015, Sarhad Pune has been consistently requesting that the Mumbai–Guwahati Express be named after Dr. Bhupen Hazarika,” he said.
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika was an important link between Mumbai and Guwahati. Therefore, Sarhad Pune had earlier also requested that the above-mentioned Express be named after him. If this request is implemented during his birth centenary year, it would be a matter of great pride for the people of the North-East, he added.
Sarhad said it had undertaken several initiatives in collaboration with Hazarika, including programmes aimed at using music as a means of reducing violence. The organisation said that even after his death, it continued to undertake initiatives with the consent of his family.
The letter said naming the train after Hazarika during his birth centenary year would be an appropriate recognition of his contribution and would also carry significance for people in the Northeast.
Sarhad is a Pune-based social, cultural and educational organisation that has been working for over three decades in India’s border regions, particularly in strife-torn states like Assam, Manipur, Punjab, and Kashmir.
To build a cultural bridge between Northeast India and the rest of the country, Sarhad –in 1912 – instituted the Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika National Award, which is presented annually to prominent personalities from Northeast India who excel in fields like music, literature, film, and cultural preservation.
Last year, 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) were conferred the award by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Guwahati.