SHILLONG, Feb 6 ? Eminent musician Bhupen Hazarika's famous Bengali composition Manush manusheri janya (man is for mankind) was selected as the 'best song of the millennium by the BBC Bengali service, reports PTI.
This was announced by the singer himself, a Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, here today saying he got a telephone call to this effect on the first January this year from BBC. Hazarika, who was here to inaugurate a Rotary conference, also enthralled the audience with his rendition of the song first in Nagamese followed by Assamese and lastly in Bengali.
Recalling his experience, the eminent musician said he composed the song during the turbulence period in 1964 when Nagaland, Manipur and parts of Assam were burning. The 77-year-old musician said he had been called by the then Assam Chief Minister B P Chealiha to go to Kohima to quell the mob violence as politicians 'failed' to bring peace.
?Although it is very difficult to translate Thowing to Nagamese but the effect was such that the curfew was lifted the next day,? Hazarika, a culture icon of this region, said reminiscing. When asked by the political dignitaries what was his 'trick', Hazarika smilingly said ?It is affection disseminated by the music? which was behind this.