HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Feb 26: The Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Kalashetra, Assam will honour chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the ‘Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Xuworoni Bota’.
This was announced by the Jorhat based organisation through a press statement on Monday.
The award will be presented to Sarma during the ‘Bohagi Utsav’ celebrations to be organised by the Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Kalashetra in Jorhat on April 19 and 20.
The general committee of the Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Kalashetra during a meeting on Sunday, unanimously agreed to honour the chief minister of the state with the award.
Speaking on the occasion, president of Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Kalashetra, Ratul Charan Bora and chief secretary Nilomoni Bora said that Moghai Ojah was able to popularise the dhol as a major instrument in the world state in as early as the 1950s. He performed with legendary Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika at different places along the length and breadth of the country. Armed with a revolutionary spirit, Ojah was able to highlight the injustice and sufferings in the society though the tunes he played on his musical instrument.
When Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha became the president of the Assam chapter of the Indian People’s Theatre Association, Ojah held the position of the vice-president of the association. 60 years after Ojah popularised the dhol globally, chief minister Sarma gave the dhulias (artistes playing the dhol) of the state the opportunity to make it to the Guiness Book of World Records through their performances last year.
He also honoured them with prize money on the occasion.
“The chief minister has not only helped the dhulias to make a world record, but has also been successful in establishing the Bihu dance globally. We want to honour him with the Ganashilpi Moghai Ojah Xuworoni Bota for this feat,” said Nilomoni Bora.
