Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, 20 June described the legacy of cultural icon Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha as a “sacred mission” rooted in the pursuit of human dignity, honouring the legendary artist and social reformer at the Bishnu Rabha Divas celebrations held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The event also featured the presentation of three prestigious cultural awards to distinguished personalities across art, literature, and cultural harmony.

Chief Minister's Tribute to Kalaguru

“Bishnu Prasad Rabha firmly believed that freedom would remain meaningless as long as the most deprived sections of society were denied food, dignity and the right to live with self-respect. His revolution was, at its core, a sacred mission to establish the dignity and humanity of every individual,” Sarma said at the ceremony.

The Chief Minister characterised Rabha as an eternal guiding force in Assam’s socio-cultural life, saying his talent was “as vast as the Brahmaputra, as expansive as the sky and as deep as the ocean.” He added that Rabha’s creations had continued to enlighten society across generations, making him a symbol of Assamese self-respect and dignity.

A Life of Struggle and Creative Transformation

Sarma traced the arc of Rabha’s remarkable life, noting that every stage reflected a unique blend of struggle and creativity. From his childhood in Dhaka and student activism in Kolkata to revolutionary activities in Cooch Behar and his later role as a legislator, Rabha remained committed to social transformation through art and public engagement.

The Chief Minister also highlighted Rabha’s extensive travels across Assam, during which he closely interacted with various tribes and communities, studying their traditions, languages, and cultural practices. These experiences, Sarma said, shaped Rabha’s songs, poems, plays, paintings, and scholarly works spanning anthropology, sociology, and linguistics.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and the Cultural Renaissance

Sarma described the partnership between Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha as one of the most transformative chapters in Assam’s cultural history, crediting the duo with ushering in a cultural renaissance that continues to define the state’s artistic identity.

Notably, this tribute comes at a time when Assam is actively repositioning its cultural institutions as pillars of regional identity, making the Bishnu Rabha Divas ceremony more than a commemorative event — it is a statement of continuity.

Award Recipients 2025–2026

At the ceremony, noted dancer Manik Barbayan and artist Madhusudan Das received the Bishnu Rabha Award 2026. Eminent writer Gita Upadhyay was honoured with the Sati Sadhani Award 2026, while renowned artist Mohammad Shamsuddin Ahmed received the National Level Ajan Pir Award 2025.

The awards span art, literature, and cultural harmony — three pillars that Rabha himself embodied throughout his life — underscoring the ceremony’s intent to keep his pluralist vision alive in contemporary Assam.