After controversy, Bhupen Hazarika's son clarifies his statement on 'Bharat Ratna'

Days after a statement of Tej Hazarika, son of famous Assamese singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika, stirred a controversy, he has issued a clarification on Friday saying it will be ‘tremendous honour’ to receive the Bharat Ratna on behalf of his late father. Tej said that his February 11th statement was misinterpret. “It is unfortunate that (some) people would completely misinterpret my public statement dated 11th February 2019 regarding the Bharat Ratna itself by sadly misrepresenting my view of it,” he said.

"It's an honour, for me and my family to be invited by GOI to accept Bharat Ratna on behalf of my late father. It'll be my privilege to receive it for him and his fans. As always, I'll strive to follow in my father's footsteps to bring light where there's darkness," the statement quoted Tez Hazarika as saying.  

Tej Hazarika says,"It's an honor,for me&my family to be invited by GOI to accept Bharat Ratna on behalf of my late father. It'll be my privilege to receive it for him&his fans. As always,I'll strive to follow in my father's footsteps to bring light where there's darkness." https://t.co/LOYThklz7W

— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2019

"The Government of India has graciously extended me an invitation to accept the Bharat Ratna for my father. He sacrificed much and devoted selflessly to the cause of a united and progressive India and now he is being recognized for that with this well-deserved award," Tej Hazarika said in a statement issued to PTI in New York.

Tej Hazarika, in a Facebook post, had earlier said that his father's name and words are being invoked and celebrated publicly while plans are afoot to pass a "painfully unpopular" Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that is "actually undermining his documented position. It would in reality be in direct opposition to what Bhupen believed in his heart of hearts".

The BJP-led NDA government had brought the bill to grant Indian citizenship to religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It had triggered massive protests across the Northeast with many organisations and parties claiming that it would have a negative impact on the demography of the region.

Tej Hazarika said, "Although I have lived abroad most of my life, my Indian roots have been strong all along as not only was I born in India (so was my mother and my father and their parents), I have family in India.

"By upbringing, and through informed reflection, I have always had the highest regard for the Indian republic, its vast diversity and its noble institution of recognizing its exceptional individuals from all backgrounds with civilian awards - the highest of them being the Bharat Ratna, recently announced for my father, the late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika."

With PTI Inputs