GUWAHATI: Two days after EastMojo broke the story that the world records created by the Assamese Bihu dance left the Nagas feeling humiliated, Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saaikia on Tuesday urged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for action against the Bihu exponent Ranjit Gogoi.
Saikia represents the Nazira assembly constituency which is home to several thousands of Naga community people, especially Sumis.
In a letter to the chief minister, Saikia said: “I am expressing my concern regarding the recent Bihu song performed by Ranjit Gogoi during the Guinness World Record attempt on April 13, which has hurt the sentiments of the Naga people. The All Assam Sema Naga Council and several other Naga organizations/societies have claimed that the use of the words “Okora Naga” and “Nagini” in the Bihu song has offended and humiliated the Naga community on an international platform.”
“This may be an old Bihu song, but in today’s advanced society, lyrics that disparage or insult another community are not acceptable, especially in an event sponsored by the state government which is seen by the rest of the world,” Saikia said.
“As you are the Chief Minister of Assam, I urge you to take action to address this issue and prevent any further escalation of the controversy. It is important to be conscious of the cultural sensitivities of every community, and to avoid actions that may disturb the peace between communities,” Saikia added.
“As Assam shares a border with Nagaland, maintaining peaceful relations between the two communities is crucial to avoid conflicts and safety concerns. Assam is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state, and it is our responsibility to value and respect the identity and culture of every group. Therefore, I strongly urge you to issue a sincere apology statement on behalf of the Assam government to the Naga people. This will not only show our respect for their culture and traditions but also acknowledge the hurt that has been caused,” he said.
“Additionally, I request that you take prompt action and ask the singer Ranjit Gogoi to publicly apologize to the Naga people. This would be a positive step towards reconciliation and would demonstrate our commitment to preserving peaceful relations between the two communities,” he also said.
“I hope you will take necessary action and do the needful so that no misunderstanding takes place between the Assamese and Naga people,” he added.
Apart from the All Assam Naga Welfare Society (AANWS) and All Assam Tangsha Students Union (AATSU), several other Naga organizations also sought an apology from the Bihu singer Ranjit Gogoi for his song using a derogatory word against Nagas.
On Monday, All Assam Sema Naga Council president Kahoto Sema, secretary Hotoi Sema, vice presidents Yetoi Sema and Kasto Sema demanded the banning of this Bihu song in any cultural event thereafter.
In a joint statement, the AASNC said: “We the Sema/ Sumi Naga communities of all Assam are happy over the world record created by the Assamese Bihu dance and want to congratulate the Bihu teams who have participated in the grand event, but on the other hand we feel humiliated, insulted because of the Lyrics of the song using words like, “Okora Noga” “Nagini” etc at a stage which has been viewed by millions of people. Naga tribes have been living in Assam since time immemorial and we are one of the proud tribes of Assam.”
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“We condemned the song performed by artist Ranjit Gogoi in the event to create the Guinness World Records. We have noticed and felt that the Naga communities of Assam and Northeast have been insulted by the lyrics of the song. The song intensely hurt the sentiments and emotions of Naga tribes living in Assam and other parts of the Northeast,” they said.
“We the Naga communities are an integral part of Greater Assamese society and culture. We feel proud to be part of this society but unfortunately most of the time we are being discriminated against in different ways. We the Sema communities of all Assam strongly demand to ban this song in any future event hereafter. We also demand an unconditional apology from artist Ranjit Gogoi. Otherwise, we will be compelled to take legal recourse,” they added.
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