Efforts to preserve the historic old residence of Bharat Ratna, Sudhakantha Dr. Bhupen Hazarika at Tollygunge in Kolkata as a memorial site have gained momentum on the occasion of his birth centenary. On Sunday, a high-level delegation of the Assam Government inspected the three-storey house located at 77B, Golf Club Road in South Kolkata.
The delegation held discussions with the West Bengal Government and local cultural organisations regarding the possibility of preserving the first-floor residence where Dr. Hazarika spent a long period of his life.
It may be mentioned that Dr. Bhupen Hazarika initially lived in this house as a tenant and later purchased it in 1981. Subsequently, in the 1990s, he sold the property and moved to Mumbai. This residence was not just a dwelling, but a confluence of music and culture. There is history of legendary artistes like Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey visiting this house.
At present, the house has multiple owners and different families are residing there. As a result, the process of preserving it has become challenging.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Assam Government, B. Kalyan Chakravarty, stated that it is inappropriate for a place associated with the memory of a great artiste like Bhupen Hazarika to remain in such a dilapidated condition. His music broke the barriers of caste and culture and united people.
He informed that the Assam Government will soon hold formal talks with the West Bengal administration on this matter and adopt a joint strategy to preserve the main parlour on the first floor as a memorial.
