Tripura Remembers The King Of Melody

Sachin Dev Burman was a skilled composer and his music still touches the hearts of music lovers around the country.

- Shilajit Kar Bhowmik

It is hard to forget Kishore Kumar singing the classic ‘Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagi Si’ in ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’or Dev Anand lipsyncing to ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ with Mohammad Rafilending voice as the playback singer in ‘Kalabazaar’. Bollywood fans will also fondly remember Waheeda Rahman dancing to the tune of ‘Piya To Se Naina Lage Re’ sung by Lata Mangeshkar in the movie ‘Guide’ and Rajesh Khanna lipsyncing to ‘Meri Swapno Ki Rani Kab Aye Gi Tu’ in the blockbuster Bollywood movie ‘Aradhana’. These super-hit songs of yesteryears still resonate in the hearts of millions of Indians. However, the composer of these songs is often forgotten as we become too captivated and charmed by the singers. Nevertheless, any person from Northeast India would take pride over the fact that these songs were composed by a scion of Tripura’s royal family, Sachin Dev Burman, who is also known as the ‘Bard of Gomati’.

Bharat Ratna for Son of the Soil

The Government of India achieved laudatory heights by taking a decision to confer the prestigious ‘Bharat Ratna’ upon Bhupen Hazarika. And, people in Tripura believe that this should be followed suit by giving S D Burman his due as well.

‘Mission Janajagaran’ led by noted journalist and social activist Prasenjit Chakraborty wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 April, 2019 demanding the conferment of Bharat Ratna to S D Barman. Mission Janajagaran is a civil society that aims to clinch recognition for eminent personalities of Tripura.

The letter goes as follows: