ULFA Asserts Itself, Warns Artists Not To Sing Hindi Songs

NEW DELHI: The militant organization ULFA has warned the singers who are due to perform in the upcoming Rongali Bihu function not to sing any hindi movie songs.

ULFA -Independent has warned Assam singers from singing Hindi songs in the upcoming Rongali Bihu functions and the organisers to desist from holding dances set to Bollywood songs.

In an email, the Paresh Baruah faction said “We urge the singers to keep away from singing Hindi songs and the dancers to also refrain from dancing to such songs, we urge the artistes to perform the local ethnic communities’ songs and dances at the Bihu functions”.

Speaking to The Citizen, Dr M Amarjeet Singh, Associate Professor in the Center for NorthEast Studies and Policy Research of Jamia Millia Islamia college said, “ These are issues that needs a delicate strategy to handle. The segregation that the country offers to the north easterners somehow gets a place in the mind of such people and it is been reflected to the world as and when the opportunity comes”

Meanwhile, Popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg opposed restrictions imposed by Bihu Sanmilani Samanyarakhi Samiti on all Rongali Bihu programmes.

Earlier, Bihu Sanmilani Samanyarakhi Samiti imposed some restrictions on Bihu programmes. They urged all concerned not to continue Rongali (Bohag) Bihu functions beyond 12 am in the night and also to restrict all Rongali Bihu programmes to one month alone.

They called for stopping Bihu functions by 12 midnight for avoiding unwarranted situations that have come to plague late-night Bihu functions. They had also urged the artists and organizers to wear traditional dresses during Bihu programmes.

Lawyer and an expert of north east culture and social fabric Upamanyu Hazarika said, “There are undercurrents and the divide that has been witnessed by the students in other parts of the country further gets a platform with such calls. The cure can be found by filling this gap”.