Visva-Bharati University’s Bhasa Bhavan in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, hosted “A Commemorative Seminar on the Life, Literature and Cultural Contributions of Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua” as part of Monokobita 2026, highlighting the enduring influence of the two Assamese literary figures on Indian language, literature and culture. The event was organised by the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation in collaboration with Visva-Bharati’s Assamese Department, Bhasha Bhavan, and the Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust, with partial financial support from HDFC Bank and Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
Professor Mrinal Kanti Mandal, head of Bhasa Bhavan, inaugurated the discussion series and observed that “Dr Hazarika’s songs are rooted in human love, nature, social consciousness, and fraternity. Navakanta Barua is a central figure in Assamese literature, inspired by the universal humanist ideals of Tagore, which he imbibed as a student at Shantiniketan.” Mandal added that while both writers composed mainly in Assamese, their work has enriched admirers of Indian literature across the country.
The seminar was moderated by Professor Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami of the Srimanta Sankardev Chair, Visva-Bharati. Eminent scholars who spoke included Professor Bibhas Choudhury of Gauhati University, Professor Srila Basu of Visva-Bharati, and Professor Arindam Barkataki of Anandaram Dhekial Phookan College, Nagaon. Professor Choudhury drew literary comparisons between Navakanta Barua and global poets such as T.S. Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke and Walt Whitman, while Dev Goswami, invoking Bertrand Russell, said Dr Hazarika’s life was guided by “passionate love, pursuit of knowledge, and empathy for human suffering.”
The welcome address was delivered by Professor Sangeeta Saikia of Visva-Bharati’s Assamese Department, and Bipuljyoti Saikia offered the vote of thanks on behalf of the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation. The seminar’s proceedings were followed in the evening by a cultural programme at the Lipika Auditorium featuring songs and poems of Dr Hazarika and Navakanta Barua.
Performers for the cultural segment included Jay Barua, Kalyan Barua, Rupam Bhuyan, Arupjyoti Barua, actor Tapan Das, Sattriya artist Anita Sharma, Upasana Mahanta Gogoi, Banshree Bailung, Manisha Majumdar (from Bengal), and Pooja Singh. Visva-Bharati students Priyanka Devi Mondal and Krishna Tamuli also presented song and dance pieces. The evening was anchored by Satyaki D’Com Bora and Mintu Barua.
The seminar and cultural programme underscored the lasting legacy of Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua, reaffirming the continued relevance of Assamese literature in inspiring audiences and shaping India’s broader literary and cultural landscape.
Original Source: https://nenews.in/assam/visva-bharati-hosts-seminar-on-bhupen-hazarika-navakanta-barua-revisits-literary-contributions/41861/
Category: Assam,Bhasa Bhavan,Visva Bharati University
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Publish Date: 2026-02-13 18:18:00
