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File picture of women singing O Mor Aponar Dex |
Guwahati, Nov. 15: Assam’s state anthem, O Mor Aponar Dex, will be sung in over 30 languages at Nehrubali in Assam’s Nagaon district on Sunday to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of its writer, litterateur Lakshminath Bezbaroa.
The performance will mark the conclusion of the yearlong effort of a local school, Navarup Jatiya Vidyapeeth, and a social organisation, Paridhi, to take the anthem to different linguistic communities across the Northeast and outside.
Their mission: to make indigenous communities sing the anthem in their languages; their motto: Save mother tongue, save unity, save culture, save identity.
The programme, O Mor Aponar Dex Xammanay Yatra, will begin at 9.30am with 150 eminent persons of the state, coming from all walks of life, lighting 150 earthen lamps.
The presidents and secretaries of various literary organisations of the region have also been invited for the programme.
The anthem will be sung in Assamese, Adi, Hajong, Deori, Tai Ahom, Bodo, Santhali, Mising, Rajbongshi, Khamti, Tai Phake, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Dimasa, Koch, Karbi, Garo, Nagamese, Tiwa, Bagania, Rabha, Manipuri, Rajasthani, Bengali, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali and English.
Recently, the Assamese community in Germany had sung the anthem in German, guided by an Assamese woman and her German husband.
Jiban Narah, who is spearheading the mission, said, “This is a unity mantra. We will talk of harmony even if every village turns into a state. Without linguistic and cultural roots, only politics cannot protect a community. We must all stand against globalisation. We want to be world citizens with our own roots. We do not want to lose ourselves in the name of globalisation.”
Two books edited by Narah, O Mor Aponar Dex — Lakhminath Bezbaroa and Bezbaroar Xadhur Alomot Onkito Sobi Aru Okonir Xadhu, will be released at the function. O Mor Aponar Dex contains translated versions of the anthem in different languages, its notations, over 20 articles on it by eminent writers and Bezbaroa’s rare photographs. The second one contains a collection of paintings by children on the tales of Bezbaroa’s book and over 20 stories written by children.
Narah said they had appealed to the state government last year to make singing of the anthem compulsory in government schools instead of morning prayers but no steps have been taken yet. “However, some schools have taken the initiative following our appeal,” he added.
Narah said the state government should set up model schools in the name of Bezbaroa and prominent personalities from different communities. He also suggested setting up of Bezbaroa Bhawan on the lines of Rabindra Bhawan.