Santiniketan hosts 'Monkobita 2026' honouring Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua

Celebrating the timeless legacy of two towering cultural icons of Assam, a commemorative seminar on Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, the Indian singer, songwriter, writer, filmmaker and politician, and Navakanta Barua, the renowned Assamese novelist and poet, was held at Santiniketan on February 13 under the “Monkobita 2026” initiative.

The event took place at Visva-Bharati University, founded by Rabindranath Tagore, where scholars reflected on how the works of both literary figures, though primarily in Assamese, have inspired and enriched admirers of Indian language, literature and culture across the country.

Inaugurating the seminar titled “A Commemorative Seminar on the Life, Literature and Cultural Contributions of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and Navakanta Barua,” Prof. Mrinal Kanti Mondal, Head of the Bhasha Bhavana, said Dr. Hazarika’s songs are rooted in humanism, love for nature, social consciousness and fraternity. He added that Barua remains a central figure in Assamese literature, deeply influenced by Tagore’s universal humanism during his time as a student at Santiniketan.

The seminar, organised by the Raul Kaushik Nath Foundation as part of Monkobita 2026, was moderated by Prof. Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami, Chair of the Srimanta Sankardev Chair at Visva-Bharati.

Among the speakers were Prof. Bibhash Choudhury of the Department of English, Gauhati University; Prof. Shreela Basu of the Department of Bengali, Visva-Bharati; and noted critic Prof. Arindam Borkotoki of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phukan College, Nagaon. They examined the literary works, philosophy and cultural vision of the two stalwarts. Prof. Choudhury also presented a comparative reading of Barua’s poetry with global poets such as T.S. Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke and Walt Whitman.

Quoting Bertrand Russell’s autobiography, Prof. Dev Goswami remarked that Dr. Hazarika’s life too was guided by three passions, the longing for love, the quest for knowledge and compassion for human suffering.

The welcome address was delivered by Prof. Sangeeta Saikia of the Assamese Department, Visva-Bharati, while Bipuljyoti Saikia proposed the vote of thanks.

A cultural programme featuring songs and poems of Dr. Hazarika and Barua was held in the evening at the Lipika Auditorium of Visva-Bharati. Several artists and students performed, paying tribute to the enduring legacy of the two literary icons.