A press conference that began and ended with Bhupen Da's song

In everybody’s workplace , certain things happen at times which he or she silently remembers often and when told to others , they bring immense joy instantly. Since such small experiences differ from one to another, they provide enough mental food and scope to know the human mind better. I am narrating my lighter moments and experiences during my working days in different departments of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Now it is the real life story of a Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner and Famous Singer of the Country Doctor Bhupen Hazarika which happened to save the image of PIB without his knowing at Hotel Pinewood Ashok in Shillong.

I am talking about an incident which happen in 1985.The occasion was a NEEPCO press  conference in Shillong. The event got disturbed due to certain objections by the Press Corps and it turned to something like “free for all”. The NEEPCO PRO was running here and there and requesting  me to do something to save the situation. That way  sometimes, strange things happen. I found Bhupenda sitting in the Hotel Pinewood Bar reading a magazine. I knew Bhupenda very dearly and so, gathering a little courage, approached him and invited him to come to the press conference as it was on the Kopili Hydro Electric Project with which he was also closely connected with his melodious song on the Kopili river Bhupenda immediately agreed and accompanied me to the press conference hall where I introduced him to the Press Corps and all hulla balloo stopped instantly .

Bhupenda sang his mesmerising song on Kopili and it was a singing and dancing event later immediately instead of a press conference. which was attended among others by a Meghalaya Minister for Cooperation. A press conferance which bagan and ended with songs by a legend accompanied by dances for long four hours till dinner. September 8 is Bhupen Hazarika's birthday. I offered my respectful tributes to our dear Bhupenda on his birthday. These were some of the true life experience or sidelights of my service life.  Every person during his or her service life experiences such things which in later life offer pleasant memories while at leisure time.

(Writer is a retired IIS official and a freelance journalist)