A Tribute

I was putting my baby daughter to sleep when suddenly my husband came and whispered “Michael Jackson is dead. The King of Pop is no more.” I was taken aback. Something cold ran down my veins. But why! Why am I feeling so; I pondered. So many people are dying everyday and neither is he my favourite singer. Instantly something inside me wanted to burst. I took a deep breath and let it vent. I could hear the three words desperately rushing out -- “I love him”. My eyes turned moist; I closed my eyes. I realized, we lost a genius and a great humanitarian! who wanted to make us all aware that we need to save this world and spread the message of brotherhood.

I never knew he was so special to me till my memory ran into retrospection and I realized that my foray into the English music world was through Michael Jackson. I was then in my fifth standard. We used to hop to his “Black or White” number which was a hit at that time. The first English cassette that I bought was Michael Jackson’s “History”. I still remember the price as well, Rs 180 and how me and my brothers used to hum his songs, especially the number “Heal the World”.

Suddenly I realized, I would feel the same when our own Bhupen Hazarika would die. On any family gathering big or small we used to sing his songs. Ma would start with her favourite song “Akashi Ganga Bisora Nai” and khuri (Wife of my Paternal Uncle) would join her and finally one by one by all of us in the family. And then every one would sing different numbers and the rest would join in. Those were the best days! Happiness and enjoyment all around!

“Bhorir toluwar pora Jodi dhora khon khohi khohi pora jen lage”- penned by Bhupen Hazarika and sung by Jayanta Hazarika is a all time motivational song for all the disheartened.

“Manuhe Manuhor babe” – another master piece of Bhupen Hazarika instills the feeling of brotherhood as we listen. The essence of the song is, If men do not think of men with a little sympathy, then tell me comrade, who will?

One song that is very close to my heart is “Sunor Kharu Nalage muk Biyar babe aai”, written by Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi and sung my Dipali Borthakur. It is a very special song for every bride of Assam. It depicts the relationship of a mother and a daughter. The daughter sings “Mother I do not need golden bangles for my marriage, the qualities that you have imbibed in me adorns me”

These artistes have given us so many beautiful songs which touches our lives in so many different ways. So much of insight and sensitivity goes into its creation. These numbers not only brings happiness and gives us solace but also serves as modes of expression. At times it serves as food for our curious minds and answers to the many questions of life.

Through this blog I would like to thank all the artistes of the world who had in some way contributed to most of my beautiful moments and everlasting memories and who must have brought a difference to so many lives across the world.

Osama Bin Laden to CNN

“It wants to occupy our countries, steal our resources, impose agents on us to rule us and then wants us to agree to all this,” Osama bin Laden told CNN in the 1997 interview. “If we refuse to do so, it says we are terrorists. When Palestinian children throw stones against the Israeli occupation, the U.S. says they are terrorists. Whereas when Israel bombed the United Nations building in Lebanon while it was full of children and women, the U.S. stopped any plan to condemn Israel. At the same time that they condemn any Muslim who calls for his rights, they receive the top official of the Irish Republican Army at the White House as a political leader. Wherever we look, we find the U.S. as the leader of terrorism and crime in the world.” Iit was the United States, bin Laden insisted, that was guilty of a double standard.

Though he was a threat to world peace yet what he said cannot be denied.

How are we benefitted from his killing? Probably by being saved from his dream of returning his world to the imagined purity of seventh-century Islam.