This year, just as the people of the State were making such preparations, came a dampener from the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-anti-talks faction). The outfit led by fugitive ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Paresh Barua issued a Bihu eve diktat directing all the singers and artistes in the State to refrain from performing Hindi movie songs and dances in the cultural functions held on the occasion of Rongali Bihu. The outfit reasoned that Hindi songs and dances which represent the culture of ‘colonial India’ must not be allowed to stand in the way of the flourishing on indigenous ethnic culture of Assam.

It is not that artistes and singers in Assam are in the habit of singing Hindi songs in Rongali Bihu celebration programmes. They usually sing in Assamese and other tribal languages to showcase the rich culture and heritage of the State and sometimes also sing some popular Hindi movie numbers in between as per public demand. However, in spite of this, it has been widely held that this diktat issued by the ULFA is totally uncalled for.

A security source observed that the ULFA (anti-talks) faction finding itself sidelined and almost forgotten by the common people of Assam wanted to capitalize on the opportunity provided by the Rongali Bihu festival to  remind the people of the State that it is still there.

Consequently, singers and dancers in Assam apparently were somewhat cowered by the Rongali Bihu eve diktat from the outlawed ULFA which was apparent by their avoidance of singing in Hindi. In this backdrop, noted singer Zubeen Garg chose to defy the ULFA diktat and sang Hindi songs in Bihu functions much to the chagrin of the militant outfit.

Wherever he performs in Assam, singer Zubeen Garg is known to draw huge crowds because of the colourful way he carries himself on the stage much to the delight of his fans especially the younger generation. This is expected from a singer who has over 15,000 songs to his credit in his 20 year long music career so far. He has also carved a niche for himself in Bollywood and his chart buster number ‘Ya Ali ..’ from the film ‘Gangster’ earned him a Filmfare nomination in the year 2007. The versatile singer besides being a singer of modern Assamese songs has also sung many folk tunes from this land of the blue hills and the red river.

But this Rongali Bihu while as usual he was drawing crowds to Bihu programmes where he was performing with his characteristic style and brilliance, he also drew the ire of the outlawed ULFA by singing Hindi movie songs thereby defying the ULFA diktat.

Taking the ULFA threat in his stride Zubeen continues to enthrall his audiences all over the State hopping from one Bihu function pandal to another. Bihu is celebrated in Assam with much pomp and grandeur for about a month from April 15 and it gives a great opportunity for popular artistes and singers to interact with and perform before their fans all over the State. Zubeen said, “Hindi is a national language, I love it and I will sing Hindi songs. No organization can dictate what an artiste should sing. I don’t understand ULFA’s argument in not allowing Hindi songs to be performed in Bihu functions. ULFA should instead encourage those talented singers from Assam who have been able to make a mark outside the State.”

For his brave action Garg has been warned by the ULFA (anti-talks) faction which said that there would be serious consequences if the singer did not change the way of promoting Hindi movie songs in Assam.

In a statement e-mailed to the media ULFA (anti-talks) faction said that it has taken strong exception to Zubeen Garg performing Hindi movie songs in a prominent Bihu function in the heart of Guwahati and would now onwards consider him as the ambassador of the ‘culture from colonial India’ to Assam.

The ULFA stated that Garg’s action was uncalled for as all the other artistes in Assam refrained from performing Hindi songs this Bihu as wished by the ULFA. The outfit warned that such an attitude from a prominent singer like Garg would lead to confrontation with the outfit in the near future, the consequences of which may not bode well.

The ULFA also rejected Garg’s comment, ‘Hindi is a national language, I love it and I will sing Hindi songs.’ saying that ‘Hindi is not a national language but the official language of the Union’. The ULFA faction in this regard also referred to the ‘landmark judgement of the Gujarat High Court in 2010 where in it was stated that ‘There is no national language in India.’ The ULFA also pointed out that it has not yet banned the Hindi language in Assam, but resorted to restrict performance of Hindi songs in Bihu functions to facilitate that traditional folk culture and see that it gets prominence during Bihu functions. The ULFA claimed that its decision to impose the restriction was based on its ‘principle’ of preventing the culture from ‘colonial India’ from overshadowing the traditional folk culture in Assam. It said it was, however, yet to impose a total ban on Hindi songs and movies in Assam.

However, in the wake of the ULFA issuing the threat to Zubeen, a host of musicians and artists of the State have not only stood firmly behind the singer but also condemned the outfit for its diktat. Noted filmmaker from Assam now based in Mumbai, Jahnu Barua has commented that music is something that appeals to all irrespective of the language and that a singer should be given the liberty to sing in the language of his choice. Barua, who had made several Hindi films said, “Culture and music have no language barriers. It is by way of cultural exchange that human civilization has emerged. One should also learn to pick up good things from others’ culture,” he said.

Does ULFA which has remained blind to many burning problem of Assam like illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, landless farmers’ problem, flood and erosion problem, ethnic tension etc., have an answer to this question?