Asom forgets Bihu to enjoy election

Amguri, Mar 30 (UNI) The people in Upper Asom has made the impossible possible this time by getting involved in electioneering rather than enjoying their main festival Bihu.

With barely two weeks to Bihu, every Asom village is expected to be busy with Bihu activities. But this time from Bokakhat to Kakopathar, from Lahowal to Nazira no Bihu activities could be seen.

It is just hard to believe that electioneering has robbed Asom of Bihu, the biggest festival. It is like Bengalese forgetting to celebrate Durga Puja or Onam inSsouth because of electioneering.

At this time every single Asom villages should have been agog with Bihu activities.

The sound of dhol and pepas, prevalent during Bihu, have been replaced by pre-recorded speech and songs of electioneering.

''It is difficult to comprehend what is happening. The youth are busy in electioneering and the village elders are quietly preparing the nitty gritties for rituals of Bihu'' said Pradan Hazarika of Romai.

''At least Upper Asom is lucky that all these madness will come to end on April 3 giving more than a week to prepare for the Bihu. But in North Bank and Central Asom, the Bihu festivities will be severely affected as the poll will take place on April 10,'' said retired school headmaster Pradip Burgohain of Lahowal.

The Bihu festivities officially kick off from April 13 but the pre-Bihu festivities are best seen in Asom villages, when each village is teeming with activities.

Even the audio shop owners have admitted that there is very sharp decline in the sale of Bihu cassettes. '' We generally sold 20-30 Bihu cassettes a day. In fact the last two days I have not sold one,'' said Ramesh Hati Barua of Tengakhat.

Specially at night the absence of Bihu activities have been very apparent.

It is very common to hear Bihu songs or sound of Bihu dances coming from all over transcending the darkness of night. But today the only sound that disturbs the quietness of the night is the blaring sound of electioneering.

UNI MT KK YA DS1153