Kumartuli or Kumortuli is located in the northern part of the city of Kolkata . The locality is a traditional habitat of the potters for nearly three hundred years. The potters or the artisans or the artists settled here during the restructuring of the Kolkata colonial region by the British East India Company . Earning a livelihood by making earthen pots and utensils first they gradually shifted to the making of the idols of Gods and Goddesses for various festivals round the year. With increasing demand and quality of their creations over time the artisans became famous and Kumartuli came to be known as the hub of idol makers supplying thousands of idols, particularly of Goddess Durga , to whole of the state of West Bengal and to NRIs of around 90 countries across the globe. At least three months before Durga Puja , the biggest festival of West Bengal and one of the biggest across Eastern India, more than five hundred workshops come alive with hyper activity day and night. Fir...
We have said earlier about Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s songs have a strong social commitment reflecting the joyful or sorrowful times of not only Assam, but the whole of the North East India. Here is one song that aims at the total common man—the unemployed youths. After auto-rickshaws were introduced in the streets of Assam Bhupen Hazarika wrote, composed and sang this song with his younger brother late Jayanta Hazarika in probably the late sixties to inspire the unemployed local youths not to hesitate but to go for it.
The lyrics of the evergreen song go like this in English:
“Driving our auto-rickshaw, we two brothers…
Storming through the streets of Guwahati…
Me the elder brother having a doctorate…my younger brother a post graduate…
Having to repay a big bank loan….
From the refinery in the fat east to the University in the far west…
All localities in between… from north to south…
Working hard…sweating…will repay the remaining bank loan…
Permit in my brother’s name…I too drive it often…
As my brother says,’younger brother of an educated unemployed…
We have no complex…..’
My brother has only one weakness…Jalukbari University his favorite…
Sometimes he would take away the auto from me…saying….
‘My love will be my passenger today…’
I ask would she marry you…you not being a professor…he would reply...
With pride, ‘My love understands the dignity of labor…’
I praise him for the decision…good that you did not run after a job…
Or you would’ve remained unemployed for life…blessings from my sister-in-law…
Driving our auto…we two brothers…”
The song is inspiring even now! Tributes to Bhupenda…
Thats definitely a great song by Bhupen Hazarika. Theres a great meaning to it.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, organizations need to find their own budget and requirements the best advertising agency. However, one of the best suppliers, media, London rickshaws provide a comprehensive package of% of the request, as amended service.
ReplyDeleteRickshaw