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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:
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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